


Fanatics

by Snapped_Sky



Category: Invader Zim, Johnny the Homicidal Maniac
Genre: Action/Adventure, Crossover, F/F, F/M, Fantasy, Gen, Horror, M/M, Slice of Life, Survival Horror
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-05
Updated: 2019-09-06
Packaged: 2019-09-07 18:33:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 108
Words: 311,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16859203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snapped_Sky/pseuds/Snapped_Sky
Summary: Zim, Dib, Gaz, Squee, and Pepito, along with Johnny, Devi, and Tenna, team up as unlikely friends and heroes. Together they protect their city and the Earth from all manner of enemies new and old, all while dealing with high school and real life.





	1. Fanatics 1.1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Squee starts going to the same Skool as Zim, Dib, and Gaz. But it turns out being the new kid is the least of his problems.

Underground Classrooms part one

 

            Zim yawns as he collapses at a desk. He quickly straightens his wig before the rest of the class starts filing in.

            Dib stretches his arms to the ceiling and sits in the desk next to him. They both yawn again and slump in their seats.

            “How come even though we saved the entire city- maybe the entire world- we still have to go to Skool?” Zim complains.

            “It’s not like you still have to go to Skool,” Dib points out.

            “Eh, it passes the time,” he shrugs.

            “Then don’t complain about it,” he scolds, “besides nobody knows we saved the city. And it’s probably better that way.”

            “Don’t be stupid. We’re heroes. We deserve some praise,” Zim snaps.

            “If we told everyone that we’re the reason most of the city got destroyed, they wouldn’t praise us; they’d kill us,” Dib argues.

            Zim tries to retort, but can’t think of anything to say. So he just scoffs.

            It’s been over two months since Zim, Dib, Gaz, Kio, and all of their friends saved the Earth from the Irken Armada. Other than the fact that Zim can never leave Earth, not much has actually changed. Zim and Dib have gotten much closer- _much_ closer- but that’s pretty much it. They’re heroes, but everyone still treats them like losers; outcasts.

            And they still go to Skool.

            “Hey, did you guys hear?” Jessica asks. Zim’s antennae immediately perk up at the sound of gossip.

            “Hear what?” Melvin asks.

            “About the new kid,” she replies.

            “I heard about the new kid,” Poonchy exclaims, “I heard he’s some kind of genius.”

            “I heard he’s some kind of freak,” Aki says, “that he hasn’t gone to school in years.”

            “Oh, maybe he’s dangerous,” Carl smirks.

            “This new kid is challenging me for dominance,” Zim hisses.

            “I doubt that, Zim,” Dib comments, “besides, you don’t have much dominance in the first place.”

            The babbling stops abruptly as an unfamiliar person enters the classroom. He’s a short, thin boy with messily-combed black hair and large brown eyes. He’s wearing thick, gray shoes with a buckle, blue jeans, a dark purple shirt with a yellow tongue emoticon, and a black sweater over top. Hanging off his shoulder is a dark purple tote bag with a cute white skull on it.

            At first Zim and Dib aren’t even the least bit interested in this kid. That is until they notice him clutching a small, brown bear covered in stitches. Then they immediately recognize him.

            “Zuh-Zim,” Dib whispers, “it’s that kid… from Juh-Johnny’s house.”

            “Yeah,” Zim hisses, “why is he here?”

            The new kid’s eyes quickly scan the room before finally landing on a desk in the front, right next to Zim. He hesitates for a second before walking forward and sitting in it. He hangs his bag off the chair and rests his bear on the desk. Behind him, the class is quietly chattering to one another.

            “That’s him?” Brian asks.

            “He’s kind of cute,” Alex comments.   

            “But what’s with the teddy bear?” Jessica scoffs.

            Little do they know, that teddy bear is the only reason the kid hasn’t lost his nerve and ran away. They can’t hear it, but he is currently encouraging him.

            “It’s okay, you’re doing fine,” Shmee says, “just keep breathing and don’t worry about anyone.”

            Squee takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly.

            “Sitting in front is a good first step,” he points out, “it shows confidence.” Squee just rolls his eyes. “And, hey, those two boys next to you; aren’t they the same ones who came to the house that time, looking for Johnny’s help?”

            Squee quickly glances at them then nods.

            “You should talk to them.”

            Squee’s face twists with discomfort as he shakes his head.

            “Come on, why not? You could use some friends your own age. And they seem interested in you. They keep looking at you.”

            Squee glances at them again and immediately catches Zim and Dib staring at him. They quickly look away.

            Shmee smiles and motions for him to talk. But before Squee can muster up the nerve, the bell rings and the teacher walks in.

            “Good morning, class,” the chipper, pretty teacher chimes.

            Good morning, Miss Sweeties,” the class replies apathetically.

            “Welcome to a brand new Skool year,” she cheers, “and I am very happy to announce that we have a new student joining us. Yay! Would you like to introduce yourself?”

            Squee tenses up immediately, his shoulders shooting up and his mouth squeezing tight.

            “Easy,” Shmee coaxes, “breathe and just stand up, state your name and your hobby.”

            He takes a deep breath and stands up. “Muh-my name is Squee C. Uh, and I um really like wr-writing.”

            “Nice to you meet you, Squee,” Miss Sweeties smiles, “I am Miss Sweeties. Now, class, due to personal problems, Squee hasn’t been able to attend school for a few years. So I want you all to help him feel welcome.”

            “I knew he was a freak,” Aki whispers.

            Squee completely freezes, his heart hammering in his chest.

            “Okay, calm down,” Shmee orders, “don’t let their words bother you. Just sit down and relax.”

            Squee rests back in his chair and lets out a deep breath.

            “Alright, class, once again, welcome to a new Skool year,” Miss Sweeties chimes, “your official classes won’t start until tomorrow, so take this time to prepare.”

            The class immediately begins chattering to themselves. Dib glances around Zim to check out Squee. He’s all tensed up and staring at his teddy bear.

            “He looks like a scared puppy,” Dib comments.

            “Don’t let it fool you,” Zim hisses, “he’s just trying to trick us. He’s definitely some kind of beast of some sort.”

            “I’m not so sure, Zim.”

            “Well, he’s definitely not to be trusted.”

            Dib cocks his head, completely unsure.

            Meanwhile, Squee sighs and rubs his upset stomach. “Maybe this was a bad idea,” he mumbles.

            “You’re just a little nervous, which is understandable,” Shmee says, “but you made this choice knowing the consequences. You’ll be fine.”

            Squee smiles, thankful for his bear’s encouragement.

            Dib and Zim keep an eye on him for the rest of the class. Squee may not seem dangerous, but Zim thinks differently. As for Dib, he’s not sure, but there is something about the nervous boy that leaves him on edge.

 

            Lunch in the cafeteria. Zim, Dib, and Gaz are sitting at a table together. The boys have spent the last few minutes complaining to her about Squee. She only half-listens as she plays on her Game Slave 3.

            “I don’t see what the big deal is. So he’s in your class. So what?” she shrugs.

            “So what?!” Dib exclaims, “do you remember who this kid is? He lives with a psycho and talks to his teddy bear!”

            “You believe in ghosts, vampires, and werewolves. You’re even dating an alien,” she points out, “so how can talking teddy bears be such a stretch?”

            “Talking teddy bears could be real, except he’s the only one who can hear it.”

            “So?”

            Dib stops, not sure what to retort. He never could win against his sister.

            “Why are you defending him?” Zim asks.

            “I just don’t think you should be judging him before you even know him. He’s probably not even as bad as you think, so you should just stop riding on it,” Gaz replies.

            “You know what Zim thinks? Zim thinks he’s following us,” he states suspiciously.

            “What?” she groans.

            “Think about it: out of all the schools in the city, he chooses this one. The one we go to,” he explains.

            “Hey, that makes sense,” Dib agrees.

            “You two are paranoid idiots. He probably had no idea you go to this school,” Gaz growls.

            “How do you know?” Zim challenges.

            She starts to snap back, but stops when she notices someone enter the cafeteria. She smirks and rests her Game Slave 3 on the table. “Let’s ask him. Hey, Squee!”

            “What?” Zim and Dib exclaim. They turn around to the cafeteria doors and watch in despair as they close behind Squee.

            “Squee, come sit with us,” Gaz demands as she waves to him.

            Squee hesitates and backs up a bit.

            “Go on,” Shmee urges.

            He takes a deep breath and walks forward. Dib and Zim groan as he sits next to Gaz.

            “Hello, Squee. Do you remember me?” she asks.

            “Your name is Gaz, right?” he questions, his voice quiet.

            “Right,” she nods and motions to Dib and Zim. “These two wanted me to ask you something.”

            “Oh, come on, Gaz. Don’t ask him,” Dib begs.

            “They want to know if you chose the Skool just cause they’re here,” she states, completely ignoring Dib.

            “No. I had no idea they were here,” Squee replies.

            “See?” Gaz snaps.

            “But you live in the South End, don’t you?” Dib asks, “so why this Skool?”

            “Well, I-I didn’t want to go to a school in the South End, so my friend, Devi, recommended this Skool,” Squee explains, his eyes staring at the table. “This is where she graduated.”

            “Miss Sweeties said you haven’t gone to school in a few years. Shouldn’t you be a few grades behind?” Dib questions.

            “Well, yes, but the Skool Board agreed to let me take the final exams for the last three years so I could be in my age group,” he replies.

            “And you passed them?” Zim exclaims with disbelief. “Those exams were tough, even for the great Zim.”

            “Nny and Shmee helped me study and they’re both really smart, so,” Squee shrugs.

            “What was your score?” Dib asks.

            “Over 90 percent correct for all three,” he replies.

            “Wow, you must be really smart,” Gaz comments.

            “I-I guess,” Squee mutters.

            An awkward silence hangs over the group. Squee’s not used to talking to strangers, especially ones his own age. His social ineptitude is kind of weighing heavy on the rest of the group. Not even Zim can find a way to break the ice.

            Squee reaches into his tote and pulls out a brown paper bag. He can’t help but smile as he thinks back to Devi, Tenna, and Nny making his lunch. They argued a lot and it made for a good show.

            “You’re a bag-luncher, huh,” Dib comments.

            “That’s not a bad idea,” Zim murmurs as he prods at the rock on his tray that is supposed to be mashed potatoes.

            Squee pulls out his sandwich and takes a big bite out of it. It’s the perfect ratio of meat, bread, and cheese. Those guys really know what they’re doing. It’s great. Nothing could ruin this moment-

            The bell rings, signalling the end of lunch.

            -except that.

            Squee quickly finishes off half his sandwich and sticks the rest back into his bag. He places Shmee on his head and follows Zim, Dib, and Gaz out of cafeteria. Gaz splits off to her class as the boys head to their lockers. Zim and Dib are right beside each other in the middle of a row, while Squee is on the end without any close neighbors. But he prefers it that way.

            Squee grabs one of his new textbooks and slips it into his bag. He closes his locker and starts to walk away, but a large, burly boy suddenly blocks his path.

            Squee’s eyes trail up the imposing figure. He’s at least two feet taller than him, and about three times as wide. He blinks at the ugly smirk glaring down at him.

            “Hey, new kid.”

            Meanwhile, a little ways down the hall, Dib and Zim grab their books and slam their lockers shut. They saunter down the hall side by side, shoulders just barely touching.

            “You know, I don’t think Squee is as bad as we thought,” Dib says.

            “Maybe. But there’s still something about him that makes me uneasy,” Zim growls.

            “It’s probably just our paranoia, like Gaz says,” he shrugs. Zim grunts in response.

            “Uh oh,” Dib mutters, stopping abruptly.

            “What’s wrong?” Zim asks.

            “Smacky’s with Squee,” Dib replies, “this can’t be good.”

           “Just leave it alone. It’s not our problem,” Zim grunts and starts to walk away. Dib, however, stays put.

            “What are you doing?” Zim asks.

            “I’m gonna go help him,” Dib states.

            “What? But there’s nothing you can do.”

            “I can try,” Dib retorts and marches forward.

            Zim stares after him in disbelief before jealousy explodes in his chest. He snarls and spins away, stomping off to class.

            “I heard you’re from the South End,” Smacky growls at Squee. “So what do you think you’re doing up here?”

            “Um, going to Skool?” Squee replies questionably.

            “So, what? You think you’re better than us? Just because you’re a South Ender who got into a North End school?” he snaps.

            “No. Actually I think the whole ‘South End’ and ‘North End’ thing is stupid,” Squee states, “we all still live in the same city.”

            “But this side is better,” Smacky snarls, “your side sucks. And you should just stay down there, South Ender.”

            A couple of the onlookers mutter in agreement.

            “I suppose we knew this was coming,” Shmee comments, “I’m just surprised it didn’t happen sooner.”

            “I’m gonna show you what we do to South Enders here in the North End,” Smacky snarls. Squee glances down at his large hands as he cracks his knuckles.

            “Whoa, Torque, hey!” Dib exclaims as he steps between the two. “You can’t just beat him up. He hasn’t done anything yet.”

            “He came to our North End Skool when he belongs in the South End,” Smacky barks, “he’s done enough. Now get out of the way, before I beat you up too.”

            Dib gulps and steps out of the way. “Sorry, Squee,” he whispers, “your best option is to just grit your teeth and hope it doesn’t hurt too bad.”  
            “That all depends on whether or not he can hit me,” Squee says.

            “Huh?”

            Smacky swings his large first. Squee shoves Dib out of the way and easily sidesteps it. Smacky is surprised at first but quickly recovers and swings again. Squee dodges again, and he smashes his fists into the lockers.

            He exclaims in pain and steps back, holding his hand. He snarls and glares at Squee, who’s standing a few feet away, staring at him blankly.

            “You know, you’re a lot slower than Dillon or Krik,” he comments.

            Smacky growls, completely pissed off. He doesn’t know who Dillon or Krik is, but he stills hates being compared to anyone.

            He swings at Squee, but again he dodges. No matter how hard Smacky punches, Squee easily slides out of the way. And he moves so gracefully, smooth and elegant like the wind.

            Dib and the large group of bystanders watch with their jaws on the floor. Normally they’d be shouting ‘fight, fight, fight’ but they’re just too awestruck. Smacky can’t even lay a finger on Squee.

            Squee dodges Smacky yet again, his feet sliding across the smooth floor. He comes to a quick stop next to Dib. They look at each with surprise.

            Smacky snarls and charges them, his fist pulled back. Dib and Squee look at him before glancing at each other, sharing a quick, mutual agreement through their eye contact.

            They sidestep onto opposite sides of Smacky, successfully dodging him. Before Smacky can react, they stick out their legs and trip him. He exclaims with surprise as he hits the floor hard.

            Squee and Dib stop behind the downed Smacky. They look at each other and smile.

            Squee is the first to break their stare as he notices the other students scurrying away like mice. Dib soon catches on and looks around curiously. Is Smacky getting up? Does he want revenge?

            No. Something worse.

            A teacher from one of the lower grades is walking down the hallway. He stares at Smacky with surprise and worry. Smacky looks up at him, shooting him his saddest puppy dog look.

            “You two!” the teacher snaps at Dib and Squee. “Come with me!”

            “Wait, sir! It’s not what it looks likes,” Dib exclaims, “Torque attacked us. We were just defending ourselves.”

            “I don’t want your excuses,” he barks as he leads the boys down the hall by their arms. Squee glances back and sees Smacky glaring at him, a victorious grin on his face. Shmee snarls angrily.

            Dib and Squee are led down a dimly lit hallway to a foreboding office door, with a word on it that sends shivers down any students’ spine: Principal.

            The teacher holds the door open and Dib and Squee stumble in. The office is dark, the only light coming from the many TV screens lining the walls. In the middle of the room is a long table with cloaked men sitting around it. At the end of the table is the most superior of the men, stroking a cat-like creature and holding a remote.

            He points the remote at a monitor and constantly replays the scene of Dib and Squee tripping Smacky.

            “Fighting is not allowed in my Skool,” he states, his voice like nails scratching chalk boards. “We have a zero tolerance policy, in fact. No matter who you are, we must punish you the same as anyone else.”

            “Please, sir, you don’t understand! If you’ll just rewind the tape a few more seconds,” Dib insists.

            “Silence!” The Principal barks.

            Dib winces and looks at Squee. “Aren’t you going to say anything?”

            “Nothing I say will save us,” Squee mutters, “these people see only what they want to see and ignore everything else.”

            “Squee C. I know you only just started here but that is no excuse,” The Principal says as he rests the remote on the table. “We must make an example of you. You both shall be transferred to the Underground Classrooms, effective immediately.”

            He slams his finger on a large, red button.

            “Wait, what?” Dib exclaims. The floor suddenly disappears underneath their feet. Dib and Squee scream as they plummet from the office and into the darkness below.


	2. Fanatics 1.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dib and Squee learn a little bit about each other and their new friends in the Underground Classrooms- one of them, not so new.

Underground Classrooms part two

 

_A few hours earlier_

            Johnny pulls the car up to the curb outside the High Skool. He leans against the steering wheel and glares at all the kids walking in.

            “High School: where evil is born.”

            “I thought that was the mall,” Squee says.

            “No, that’s where evil hangs out,” he states.  
            Squee clutches Shmee to his chest as he stares at the imposing building.

            “You can still back out if you want,” Nny points out, “there’s nothing those government zombies can’t teach you that I can’t teach you.”

            “I know,” Squee nods, “but I think it’d be good for me to get a diploma and stuff.”

           Devi smiles and reaches over the seat, giving Squee’s shoulder a squeeze. “I’m proud of you, Squeakers. You’ll be okay. Skool isn’t as bad as you think.”

            Johnny growls and glares at the girls in the backseat. “What are you two doing in here anyway?”

            “Supporting Squee. We’re proud of him for going back to school,” Tenna replies.

            “Yeah, and besides I need a ride to work,” Devi adds.

            “Why can’t you take your car?” Johnny asks.

            “I’m already in your car,” she replies.

            He groans and slams his head on the steering wheel. Squee laughs and steps out of the car.

            “I’ll be here to pick you up around 3,” Johnny says.

            “Thanks. See you, guys,” Squee smiles and waves to them as he closes the door.

            Their banter has calmed him down, but he’s still really nervous. Still he can’t just give up before trying. So he steels his nerves and walks into the Skool. Honestly, how bad can it really be?

 

            “Squee. Squee, wake up.”

            Squee’s eyes blink open. He rubs his aching head and sits up. Resting right beside him is Shmee, his white eyes full of worry.

            “Good, you’re awake,” he sighs.

            “Shmee? Where are we?” Squee asks.

            “I’m not sure. But it’s not natural,” Shmee replies.

            “Where’s Dib?”

            Shmee points a little ways into the dark room with his stubby arm. Squee picks him up and stumbles cautiously in that direction. His eyes have quickly adjusted to the darkness so he notices Dib right away.      

            “Dib, are you okay?” he asks as he helps the boy to his feet.

            “Yeah, I think so,” Dib replies and looks around. “Where are we?”

            “I’m not sure. I can’t make out anything.”

            As Dib straightens his glasses, he suddenly remembers the events that occurred minutes- hours?- before.

            “The Underground Classrooms!” he exclaims.

            “What?” Squee questions, startled.

            “We must be in the Underground Classrooms,” he clarifies.       

            “What are the Underground Classrooms?” Squee asks.

            “I don’t really know. I’ve heard stories but they were vague, nothing but rumours,” Dib replies. He looks around and growls, “I wish it wasn’t so dark in here.”

            “Hang on. I think I have a flashlight in my- my bag!” Squee exclaims as he feels around his waist and shoulder. “I lost my bag! I must’ve dropped it when I fell!”

            “Is that it?” Dib asks as he points at a small mound.

            Squee picks it up and groans, “aw, jeez. All of my stuff fell out.”

            “Alright, I’ll help you out,” Dib sighs.

            The boys feel along the floor, picking up all of the contents of Squee’s bag, mostly notebooks and a couple hundred pens.

            “Why do you have so many books?” Dib asks.

            “I’m a writer. Those books hold all of my stories,” Squee replies.

            “Oh, I found the flashlight,” Dib exclaims as he grabs the small torch. He turns it on and shines it around the room. It’s completely plain and empty without a single piece of furniture except for the worn out ‘Welcome’ sigh hanging over a large doorway.

            “There’s the way out. Come on, let’s go,” Dib demands.

            “Hang on. I found my lunch,” Squee mutters as he picks up the paper bag. He flips it open and peeks inside.

            Dib comes to an abrupt stop at the sound of mumbling outside. The flashlight illuminates a small group of people as they enter the room. Dib’s danger senses start going haywire.

            “Uh, Squee?” he whimpers as the group groans and shuffles towards them.

            Squee looks up and squeaks at the sight of the seemingly undead. They stumble right past Dib and head straight towards him.

            One of them sticks out his hand and growls, “food.”

            Squee whimpers as the fingers get closer to his face.

            “No!” a girl exclaims and tackles the boy to the ground.

            “Get off of me, Amanda!” he shouts.

            “No way! I’m not letting you have all that food!” she snaps as she holds him to the ground.

            “That’s cause it’s mine!” another boy yells victoriously as he grabs the paper bag from Squee’s hands. He jumps to his feet and stands next to Dib. They watch the display before them with surprise.

            They’re not a group of zombies; they’re a group of teenagers! They snap and claw at each other, each trying to get into Squee’s lunch but none are really successful.

            A second beam of light suddenly points at the group. Squee and Dib turn to the doorway as another kid walks in, holding a flashlight.

            “What the hell are you guys doing?” he sighs.

            “This bag has real food but nobody’s sharing,” one of the boys says.

            “I’m not going to share. I called it,” another boy snaps.

            “There are no ‘dibs’ down here,” a girl barks.

            “Honestly, you guys. You’re not making a very good impression,” the boy with the flashlight scolds.

            “First impression?” another girl questions. He sighs and points at Squee and Dib.

            “Oh, hey. I didn’t even notice them,” another boy exclaims.

            “You never notice anything,” a girl snaps.

            “You didn’t notice them either,” he retorts and they start fighting over the lunch again.

            The boy with a flashlight lets out an exasperated sigh and stomps into the room. He reaches into the squabbling group and pulls out the lunch bag. “You guys are hopeless. None of you get to eat.”

            “Aw,” they whine.

            He walks over to the boys and hands the bag back to Squee. “I’m sorry about them. You must be pretty freaked out, huh? Don’t worry, you’ll get used to them.”

            “Who are you?” Dib asks.

            “Oh, right. I’m-.”

            “Pepito?” Squee questions.

            “Yeah, how did- wait, Todd?”

            Squee smiles uncomfortably at the sound of his old name. “It’s Squee now.”

            “Ah, right, right,” Pepito smiles, his fangs glowing from the beam of the flashlight. “I’m glad to see you’re okay. And so sorry to see you down here.”

            Squee’s smile softens. “Yeah, me too. What happened to you anyway?”

            “I started going to this Skool last year, but on my second day I got into a fight with this douche, Torque Smacky,” he explains, “I didn’t start it but I still got punished and sent down here.”

            “That same thing happened to us,” Squee exclaims.

            “Really,” Pepito mutters suspiciously.

            “Hey, Pepito!” one of the boys snap, “quit talking to that kid and give us that food.”

            Pepito snarls at him and sighs, “I’m sorry about them. But we haven’t had a decent meal in a long time.”

            “I wouldn’t mind giving it to them,” Squee says, “but only if they act dignified.”

            Pepito looks back at the group. “Can you guys handle that?”

            They grumble uncertainly but otherwise agree.

            “Come on, we’ll retire to the classroom first. Follow me,” Pepito smiles and leads the boys out of the room and down a dark hall. The rest of the group follows close behind.

            The halls are dimly lit, the only lighting coming from some kind of odd fungus sticking to the dirt walls and ceiling. But the tunnels are brittle, with little specks falling to the ground.

            The group follows Pepito into another dark room that resembles a classroom. There are desks and a blackboard but no teachers or any sign that a lesson has ever taken place here.

            The group fans out and sits in separate desks. Squee and Dib sit with Pepito on the teacher’s desk at the front of the room.

            Squee hands Pepito his lunch and he distributes it equally to the kids. There aren’t many, only five. And they all look about the same age.

            After all the food has been distributed, Pepito digs around in the desk and pulls out a candlestick. He points at the wick and it lights up into a nice, bright flame.

            He rests the candle in a holder between him and Squee and smiles.

            Dib examines Pepito in the light of the candle. He notices the little silver horns poking through his black hair, the red eyes, the sharp fangs and his paranormal senses start going nuts.

            “What are you?” he asks plainly.

            Pepito looks at him and smirks, “you really wanna know?”

            “That’s probably why he asked,” Squee mutters.

            “Well, you’re obviously not human,” Dib states.

            “Very good. A lot of people don’t notice that,” he praises.

            “Yeah, well, a lot of people are clueless. So what are you?”

            “Alright, but keep in mind: once I tell you, I can’t un-tell you.”

            “Just tell me,” Dib demands, annoyed.

            “Okay. I’m-.”

            “He’s the antichrist!” one of the boys exclaim.

            “Jones! I wanted to tell him,” Pepito whines.

            “So they all know?” Squee asks.

            “Well, I had no reason to hide it,” he shrugs, “plus they noticed I was different from regular humans, so.”

            “The antichrist? Like the son of the Devil?” Dib asks.

            “Yeah,” Pepito replies.

            “So then, the Devil and God and all that stuff, those are real?”

            “Well, that’s really for you to decide. Some people can look the Devil in the eye and still deny his existence. It all depends on your beliefs,” Pepito explains, “but let’s save the religious banter for later.”

            “So, what exactly is this place?” Squee asks.

            “The Underground Classrooms: a system of tunnels underneath the Skool and most likely parts beyond,” he replies, “despite the name, it’s more like an underground prison for students who break the rules. Anyone who gets into a fight or arrives late to class, etcetera, are sent down here never to return. But there’s a catch.”

            “While all the students here did break the rules one way or another, upon further investigation it is obvious that they never instigated it. It was never really their fault,” he explains, “but did the teachers listen? No. Even though there are hundreds of surveillance cameras around the Skool, they only focus on the part where we broke the rules, not the reason for it or what started it.”   

            “They only see what they want to see and ignore everything else,” Squee mutters.

            “Wait, ‘never to return’?” Dib exclaims, “so we’re stuck down here?”

            “Unfortunately, yes. We are never allowed to leave,” Pepito nods, “not for weekends, not for holidays. Never.”

            “But don’t people get suspicious?” he asks.

            “Well, sure. When they first went missing, parents looked for them, but they never suspected the Skool,” he replies, “school is supposed to be a safe haven for children. Nobody would- or wants to- believe that the Skool is trapping their kids in a prison. And since barely anyone even knows the Underground Classrooms exists, people eventually run out of leads. Soon they just give up.” He sighs sadly and stares at the floor.

            “Pepito?” Squee questions.

            He looks up and clears his throat, quickly regaining his composure. “Anyway, none of us know where the entrance is, or if there even is one. So we have no way of escaping.”

            “But it’s not such a bad life,” he adds quickly, “we get fed daily- even though it’s only leftovers from the cafeteria- we all have our own beds- but we do share a room- and we can go anywhere we want in the tunnels- but only in the daytime… and if you watch out for the guards.”

            “So we’re trapped here unfairly and we’re never allowed to leave,” Squee clarifies, “sounds a lot like the mental hospital.”

            “Mental hospital?” Dib questions.

            “And I have a theory as to why we’re all here,” one of the boys announces.

            “No one wants to hear about your conspiracy theories, Kyle,” one of the girls snaps.

            “Shut up, Amanda. No one asked you,” he barks.

            “Oh, I love a good conspiracy theory,” Dib purrs.

            “Great,” he chimes and bows before the boys. He’s got short, messy brown hair and matching eyes covered by a pair of black glasses. “I am Kyle.”

            “Dib.”

            “Squee.”

            “So what’s your theory?” Dib asks.

            “Okay, so everyone here all have something in common: we’re all here unfairly. We were falsely accused. But not just that,” Kyle explains excitedly, “we were all great students. We arrived to Skool on time, did our homework, passed our tests. Except for maybe Pepito.”

            “How would you know?” Pepito snaps.

            “I feel it’s a lucky guess,” Kyle shrugs, “anyway, like I said, we were all good students. Until we had one little hiccup –came in late, didn’t finish our homework, got into a fight- that ruined our lives and worst of all, our rep.”

            “That one hiccup sent us down here, even though the actual reason remained unpunished. In your case, it would be Torque Smacky.”

            “Right. So what’s your point?” Squee asks.

            “This! The Principal is sending all of his good student to the Underground Classrooms, but to save face he can’t just punish students at random. So he waits until they slip up, then turns it into a big deal,” Kyle explains, “why? So the Skool will be full of nothing but strong, mean students. I think you know where I’m going with this.”

            Squee and Dib cock their heads, confused.

            “Kyle, no one ever knows where you’re going with anything,” Pepito grunts.

            “Shut up. What I’m saying is obvious,” he snaps, “The Principal wants to make a child army of the meanest children at his disposal!”

            Dib and Squee blink blankly.

            “You talk a lot,” Squee states.

            “He may have a point though,” Dib says, “The Principal must be up to something if he’s sending all the good students to the Underground Classrooms. I mean, he has surveillance cameras everywhere, he must see what’s really going on.

            He straightens his glasses and growls, “I can’t stay here.”

            “What?” the class exclaims.

            “I can’t stay here. The world needs me too much,” he declares as he jumps to his feet. “I can’t save the Earth underground.”

            “Save the Earth? From what?” one of the boys asks.

            “Monsters, aliens. Anything that may put the world in danger,” Dib replies, “it is my duty.”

            “Monsters? Aliens? Those are real?” Amanda asks.

            “Yes. Though I don’t expect you to believe me,” he growls.

            “No, I believe you,” she states.

            Dib blinks, surprised.

            “I always knew they were real,” Kyle squeals.

            “You… really believe me?” Dib asks in disbelief.

            “When you spend as much time down here as we do, you start believing in anything,” the other girl mutters.

            “Especially when you see something like the Guard Dog,” a boy whimpers.

            The entire class shudders simultaneously, even Pepito.

            Squee stares at the ground, squeezing and unsqueezing Shmee. Finally he steels his nerves and mutters, “I can’t stay here either.”

            Everyone looks at him with surprise.

            “I was in prison once. I don’t want to go through that again,” he mutters, “not when I’m finally happy.”

            Pepito stares at him. It’s amazing how much he’s changed in the last three years. He still clings to his teddy bear- which is understandable- but there’s a fire in his eyes that wasn’t there before.

            Pepito smirks and nods, “I’m in.”

            “What?” the class exclaims.

            “Squee and Dib are right. We don’t have to stay here,” he growls, “let’s bust out of here and show The Principal and his associates that we are not his prisoners!”

            The class cheers and jumps to their feet. Dib and Squee smile as they solidify their resolve to bust out. It’ll be much easier to break out now. And nothing’s going to stop them.

            They spend the next hour or so getting to know the members of their crack team. Including Pepito, there are six of them and they’re all in their mid-teens.

            Kyle is sixteen. He was a great student, always passed his assignments and was never late. But then one day the bike he always rode to Skool got a flat tire and he was an hour late. So he got sent down here.

            Amanda is fifteen. She’s a really pretty girl with long blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She was also an amazing student. She never failed a class since Kindergarten. But then she got into a fight with this girl who claimed she stole her boyfriend. So she got sent down here.

            Carmen is sixteen. She’s also really pretty with brown hair tied into pigtails and green eyes. She was an average student but was really nice to everyone. She had lots of friends and was really well liked. But she failed a couple tests. So she was sent down here.

            Jones is seventeen, making him the oldest of the group. He’s a tall, good looking young man with dark skin, brown eyes, and short, messy black hair. He also speaks a lot of street, but somehow he pulls it off. Like Carmen he was an average student but he was nice and respected by everyone. One day he got into a fight with a bully who was picking on a younger kid. So he got sent down here.

            Finally, Nathan is fourteen. He used to be the youngest of the group before Pepito showed up. He’s got short brown hair and soft, brown eyes. It’s obvious from his looks and personality that he was a good student. His situation is a lot like Squee and Dib’s because he was actually the student Jones was protecting from the bully. So they both got sent down here for a fight they didn’t initiate.

            “Alright, everyone, pay attention,” Pepito demands. He’s drawing up a list on the chalk board. Everyone sits at a desk and listens closely.

            “Every plan needs facts if it is to work out. So here’s what we know about the Underground Classroom.” He taps the first fact on the list. “We are the only students here. This makes it easier because we don’t have to worry about looking for others.”

            “It makes sense. The Principal only targets extraordinary students,” Dib says, “average students living their average lives wouldn’t be sent down here.”

            “Second: students are allowed to roam the halls but only during the daytime,” Pepito explains, “however there are some off-limit hallways that are heavily guarded.”

            “Third: the teachers usually leave us alone unless we break the rules. But since this is a prison break, we’re gonna want to avoid them.”

            “Teachers?” Squee questions.

            “The guards. We call them teachers for the sake of symmetry,” Nathan replies.

            “They only patrol during the daytime though,” Pepito adds, “because at night the Guard Dog comes out.”

            Again, the whole class shudders.

            “What’s the Guard Dog?” Squee asks nervously.

            “Hopefully you won’t find out,” Kyle mutters.

            “Moving on,” Pepito snaps, “we have the final fact. As far as we know, there is no way out.”

            Everybody blinks before sighing miserably.

            “You’re very optimistic,” Dib comments sarcastically.

            “Look, I said ‘as far as we know’,” Pepito says, “because none of us have been down the off-limit hallways.”

            “You think that’s where the way out is?” Carmen asks.

            “I’m sure of it.”

            “But, yo, there’s like five of them hallways. How do we know which one has the entrance?” Jones asks.

            “Maybe they all do,” Nathan suggests.

            “No,” Squee disagrees, “there’s probably only one entrance. The other hallways are most likely bluffs to mess with us.”

            “The Principal is tricky that way,” Pepito nods.

            “But how we do figure out which one is the entrance?” Amanda asks.

            “Oh, if only we had some form of contact with the outside world. Then we might be able to get some help,” Dib groans.

            “I have my cell phone,” Squee says as he pulls his phone out of his pocket.

            “Cell phones are prohibited in Skool,” Dib points out.

            “When you’re as paranoid and delusional as I am, it’s best to have it around,” Squee shrugs.

            “Well, fortunately for us,” Dib smirks as he takes the phone. “Zim doesn’t follow the rules either.”

            He dials the number and puts it on speaker phone. Everyone squeezes in to listen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you're enjoying this so far. I'll be uploading a chapter every Monday and Friday, so look forward to the next one!


	3. Fanatics 1.3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zim and Gaz try to find Dib and Squee while they work with their new friends to figure a way out of the underground classrooms.

Underground Classrooms part three

 

            Zim wanders tirelessly around the Skool, Gaz following close behind. Dib’s been missing for over an hour. Where is he?

            “What kind of boyfriend leaves behind his less dominant boyfriend to fight the beefiest muscle head in Skool?” Gaz snaps.

            “I let my anger get the best of me, alright?” Zim snaps, “all that matters now is finding him. Oh, if Smacky laid even one finger on my Dib, he’s dead!”

            A light buzzing sounds from Zim’s PAK. The main pocket opens and a touchscreen cell phone flies out, landing in Zim’s hand. Someone’s calling him but it’s a number he doesn’t recognize. He hits ‘answer’ and holds the phone like a hyuman. Even though he doesn’t have ears his antennae are strong enough to hear the caller clearly.

            “Hello?” he says.

            “Hey, Zim. It’s Dib,” the caller says, followed by a series of other voices. “And Squee.” “And Pepito.” “And Kyle.” “And Amanda.” “And Jones, yo.” “And Nathan.” “And Carmen.”

            “Dib! You’re okay!” Zim exclaims with relief. “Where are you? Who are all those other people?”

            “Listen, Zim. A lot of things have happened and I need your help,” Dib explains, “Squee and I got sent to the Underground Classrooms which is really an underground prison for students who break the rules. And we’re never allowed to leave. But the system is rotten. Everyone down here are good students who only broke the rules by accident or in self-defence.”

            “We’re trying to break out but we need your help. We don’t know where the entrance is. So we need you to figure it out from the surface,” he concludes.

            “I see. Alright,” Zim nods, “don’t worry, Dib. You can count on me.”

            “I know. Call me later. Keep me posted,” Dib says before hanging up.

            Zim puts his phone back in his PAK, a familiar, arrogant grin spreading across his face. “Well, well. This should be interesting.”

            “Why? What happened?” Gaz asks.

            Zim quickly fills her in on what Dib told him. By the end of it, even Gaz looks a little excited.

            “Doesn’t this sound fun? Zim is excited,” he giggles, his antennae twitching under his wig.

            “Alright, before you have a seizure, how are we going to find the entrance to the Underground Classrooms?” Gaz asks.

            Zim deflates like a popped balloon. “Uh… well…” he stammers.

            “Zim?”

            They turn around to a girl, Zim’s classmate, Zita. She’s fiddling with her fingers and staring at the floor.

            “What do you want?” he growls.

            “I need your help,” she replies, “in the bathroom.”

            “I’m busy,” he grunts and starts to walk away.

            “No, you have to come with me!” She grabs his wrist and drags him down the hall. He’s too stunned to even resist as she throws him into the girls bathroom. Gaz quickly follows before she locks the door.

            “What do you think you’re doing?” Zim snaps.

            “Quiet. The bathrooms are the only blind spots in The Principal’s system. He has no cameras here,” Zita explains.

            “What are you talking about?” he asks.

            “I can help you free Dib,” she states.

            “Eh?” Zim grunts.

            “Really? How?” Gaz asks.

            “Well, I’m not going to help you directly,” Zita clarifies, “but I can give you some advice. I heard you guys talking. I don’t know where the Underground Classrooms are, but I think I know where you can find out.”

            Zim blinks, completely interested.

            “The Principal’s office. That’s the only room in the Skool that has any records. If there is any information on the Underground Classrooms, it’ll be there.”

            “I see. That makes sense,” Zim nods.

            “There’s only one problem,” Zita adds quickly,” The Principal never leaves his office. Not even at night. So it’ll be dangerous trying to sneak in there.”

            “We’ll figure something out,” Gaz states.

            “Yes, no problem,” Zim agrees, “but I’m surprised you’d want to help us, Zita. I thought you hated us.”

            “Well, let’s just say you and Dib may not be the stupid, crazy idiots we think you are,” Zita mutters.

            Zim cocks his head, confused but intrigued.

            “I gotta go. Good luck,” she says hastily before racing out of the bathroom. Zim and Gaz stare after her for a second, bewildered.

            “Well, that was helpful,” Gaz grunts, “now we can make a game plan.”

            “Yes. First we’ll find The Principal’s office then go from there,” Zim nods as they exit the bathroom. He grabs his phone from his PAK and redials the last number. “I should call Dib so he knows what’s going on.”

            Back underground, the students are currently going over their game plan.

            “Until Zim can tell us with complete confidence where the entrance is, we might as well make our own headway,” Pepito declares.

            “Right. No point in just sitting around,” Carmen agrees.

            “So here’s what we’ll do: we’re gonna make a map to all of the off-limit hallways, so when Zim finds out which one has the entrance, we’ll know how to get to it right away,” he explains.

            “Sounds good,” Nathan nods.

            “Does anyone have a pen and paper?” Pepito asks.

            “Yes, I do,” Squee replies as he digs around in his bag. He tears out a blank piece of paper from one of his notebooks and grabs a cheap pen, handing them both to Pepito.

            “Right, let’s go.”

            Just as they’re about to leave, Squee’s phone begins ringing. He recognizes the number as Zim’s and puts it on speaker phone.

            “Zim, it’s Squee. What’s up?” he asks.

            “Squee? So then this is your phone,” Zim states.

            “Yeah.”

            “Is Dib there?”

            “Yeah, but you’re on speaker so everyone can hear you.”

            “Ah, the way it should be,” Zim sighs approvingly. “Alright, listen up my loyal subjects. I may have figured out a way to find the entrance. Gaz and I are going to sneak into The Principal’s office. Hopefully that’s where we’ll find some info on the Underground Classrooms.”       

            “The only problem is that he never leaves his office, so it may be a bit tricky. But Zim loves a good challenge.”

            “Well, don’t get into too much trouble,” Dib warns, “if you feel something bad is about to happen, then retreat.”

            “Aw, Dib, you know I could never do that,” Zim sighs, “alright, I’m gonna go. I’ll keep you posted.”

            Zim hangs up and Dib groans, annoyed. “He never listens to me.”

            “They’re gonna try and sneak into The Principal’s office?” Nathan exclaims, “that’s a suicide mission!”

            “They’re trying to help us. Maybe there’s a way we can help them,” Pepito mutters.

            “I have an idea,” Squee says as he grabs his phone. “I just hope he doesn’t make me go into too much detail. He might get a little mad.”

            “A little mad,” Shmee scoffs, “that’s an understatement.”

            He slides from Squee’s head onto his shoulder as Squee presses 2 on his speed dial.

            “Are you gonna tell him the truth?” Shmee asks.

            “I’m gonna try not to,” Squee replies.

            “You’re gonna lie to him? You know that’ll never work,” he points out, “A, you’re a terrible liar. B, he’s an interrogator. He knows when someone’s lying to him.”

            “Nevertheless, I have to try,” Squee insists, “I just don’t want to make him angry. Now be quiet; it’s ringing.”

            “Who’s he talking to?” Kyle asks cautiously.

            “His teddy bear,” Pepito replies like it’s so obvious.

            Squee holds the phone to his ear and Shmee squeezes in close to listen. Squee’s heart is pounding hard. He’s even more nervous now than when he met The Principal.

            “Hello?” His stomach flips when Johnny’s low, husky voice answers.

            “Uh, hey, Johnny. It’s Squee.” He’s having a hard time keeping his voice steady.

            “Oh, hey. What’s up? Is something wrong?”

            “No, no. Not really. Just… um… you don’t have to pick me up after Skool. I’m uh going to a friend’s house. I just met him today. But I promise I will come home. But um I do need you to do something for me. Could you go meet The Principal and maybe have him show you around the Skool… or something?”

            “You’re nailing this,” Shmee comments. Squee glares at him, his heart hammering restlessly as he waits for Johnny’s response.

            “Squee. Why are you lying to me?”

            Squee sighs, defeated. Shmee chuckles, “see? I told you. Johnny may be an idiot, but he’s a sharp idiot.”

            “I-I’m not lying. I really do need you to meet The Principal,” Squee insists.

            “Yeah, sure, fine. But you’re lying about that ‘friend’s house’ thing. And why do you need me to meet The Principal?” Johnny asks.

            “…introductions sake?”  
            “Squee,” he sighs, exasperated.

            “Okay,” Squee squeaks, “I’ll you the truth.” 

            “You held out for longer than I thought,” Shmee comments.

            “Dib and I got into a fight with a bully but we didn’t start it, it was self-defence. But The Principal still saw it as our fault and sent us to the Underground Classrooms, which is really just a prison for wayward youths. Except no one here is wayward, they’re all good students. And that’s why we’re trying to break out but we don’t know where the entrance is. So Zim and Gaz are trying to find out by sneaking into The Principal’s office, but The Principal never leaves his office. That’s why I need you to find a way to distract The Principal long enough for Zim and Gaz to find out the information,” Squee explains quickly. By the end of it, he’s panting for breath.

            “Okay, now that I believe,” Johnny says.

            “I’m sorry I lied,” Squee sighs, “I didn’t want to upset you.”

            “Aw, Squee. I’m always upset. No one can help that,” Johnny says reassuringly, “now what exactly do you need me to do?”

            “You just have to keep The Principal out of his office long enough for Zim and Gaz to search it for information on the Underground Classrooms,” Squee clarifies.

            “Okay, sounds easy enough,” Johnny says.

            “Oh, and one more thing,” Squee says quickly, “just a little nitpick on my part: don’t… kill him, okay?”

            “Eh?” Johnny grunts.

            “It’s just… I know The Principal isn’t a good person and you probably won’t like him at all. But he’s still the principal of the Skool and it’d be troublesome for us if something happened to him,” Squee explains, “so just try to find a way to get rid of him, without actually getting rid of him.”

            “…alright, Squee. I won’t kill him,” Johnny sighs.

            “Promise?” Squee asks hopefully.

            “Promise.”

            Squee sighs with relief and smiles. “Thanks, Nny. I’ll talk to you later.”

            “Good luck, Squee.”

           They hang up and Squee slips his phone into his jeans pocket. Shmee looks at him sceptically. “You really think he’ll keep that promise?”

            Squee considers the question for a second before nodding. “I do.”

            “Alright,” Shmee shrugs.

            “Okay, is everyone ready to go?” Pepito asks.

            “Yup,” Squee nods.

            “Good. Let’s go,” he demands and the students march off to commence their reconnaissance.

            Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, Johnny hangs up the receiver and sighs.

            “No killing, huh? Well, I suppose that’s fair,” he shrugs.

            “Nugget! Come on, we gotta go kidnap a principal,” he shouts as he pulls on his jacket and leaves the house. The little brown cat trots close behind.

            Back underground, Dib, Squee, and the others spend the next hour mapping out the Underground Classrooms. The teachers leave them alone for the most part, but their glares get more piercing the closer they draw to an off-limit hallway.

            There are five off-limit hallways. They are well spread out and guarded by pairs of teachers armed with Taser guns.

            When they finally get all the info they needed, they return back to their classroom to discuss a plan.

            “Each hallway is guarded 24/7,” Pepito explains, “so we’ll have to find a way to take out those teachers if we want to get by.”

            “We’ll need weapons,” Dib states.

            “Where are we going to get weapons down here?” Kyle asks.

            “Nowhere. We have no supplies. The only things we have are chalk and desks,” Pepito points out, “and both would make for insufficient weapons.”

            “If we can find a way to avoid the guards then we won’t need weapons,” Squee retorts.

            “How will we do that?” Nathan asks.

            Squee doesn’t reply. He just plays with Shmee’s ears.

            “Well, it doesn’t matter,” Pepito shrugs, “all we can do at the moment is wait for Zim to get back to us about the entrance.”

            Dib runs his hand down his scythe lock and stares at the ceiling. “I wonder how they’re doing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not re-reading these chapters as I post them, I'm just sort of skimming them and man my writing really does get better. I mean that's good but damn these chapters are kind of bad.


	4. Fanatics 1.4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nny, Devi, and Tenna work with Zim and Gaz to try and find Dib and Squee.

Underground Classrooms part four

 

            Johnny’s little grey car is parked at the curb behind the Skool. He is sitting on the hood staring at the building, Nugget lying down beside him. He rubs his chin as he considers the situation.

            “Kidnapping a normal principal would be so easy it wouldn’t even be worth writing about,” he rambles, “but Squee said this principle isn’t normal. He never leaves his office. Still, I love a challenge.”

            “All we have to do is figure out where his office is and go from there,” he concludes, “it’ll definitely be tricky. We can’t allow there to be any witnesses.”

            “Which raises the question,” he growls and glares at the car parked beside him, or more specifically at the two girls leaning against it. “What the fuck are you two doing here?”

            “We’re here to help you, of course,” Devi says like it’s so blindly obvious.

            “I didn’t even tell you I was coming here,” he snaps, “are you stalking me or something?”

            “You wish,” Tenna scoffs.

            “Do you even know what I’m doing?” he asks.

            “Yes. We heard you monologue-ing,” Devi replies.

            “I wasn’t monologue-ing. I was talking to the cat,” he snaps. They look at Nugget, who is quite busy licking her junk.

            “She seems riveted,” Tenna comments.

            Johnny sighs, defeated once again by the women in his life. “Fine, you can help. But keep in mind, we’re going to be breaking multiple laws. Are you sure you want to be accessories to Grand Theft Principle?”

            “Eh, we have nothing else to do,” Devi shrugs.

            “So be it,” Johnny says and faces the Skool. His mood brightens considerably at the sight of two familiar teenagers marching along the back field. “Well, look at that. It’s the other players in this little game.”

            He smirks and hops off the car. “Come on, let’s go say hello.”

            Devi and Tenna smile and follow him. Nugget jumps onto Nny’s shoulder and they climb over the chain link fence.

            Inside the Skool yard, Zim and Gaz march around the perimeter. Gaz drags her bat behind her as they scout out the windows.

            “Why’d you bring your bat with you?” Zim asks critically.

            “You never know when you might need it,” Gaz replies, “besides, you don’t even know about half the stuff in your PAK.”

            “Doesn’t matter. I know it’s all needed,” Zim retorts, “unlike your bat.”

            The kids stop abruptly as they notice three people walking towards them. The one in front, a man, waves to them and smile and they immediately recognize him.

            “Ah, it’s him!” Zim screams and ducks behind Gaz. “Quick, Gaz! Use your bat!”

            Gaz grips her bat, lifts it above her head, and clonks it right on Zim’s head.

            “Ow! Not on me!” he barks.

            She rolls her eyes and faces the newcomers. “Hello, Johnny.”

            “Hello, little Gaz,” he bows his head politely. “I must admit I am relieved to see you are alright, after your battle with aliens.”

            “Yeah, whatever,” she scoffs apathetically. “Who are they?” She nods to the cat hanging off his shoulder and the two girls behind him.

            “This is Chicken Nugget,” he replies, “and they’re just my stalkers.”

            “Are not!” Devi snaps.

            “Sure seems that way,” he retorts, “maybe I should get a restraining order.”

            While Johnny argues with the two hyuman females, Zim cowers behind Gaz. He’d never admit this to anyone, but Johnny really freaks him out. He’s even scarier than zombies and germs.

           _Oh! But when we first met I wasn’t wearing my disguise. Maybe he won’t recognize me. No, he definitely won’t. Hyumans are too stupid to see through my brilliant disguise. Right, I’m worrying for not-_

“You’re Zim, right?” Johnny asks.

            Zim twitches with surprise. He quickly regains his composure and laughs obnoxiously. “Eh? Zim? Not me. I am not that amazing, miraculous person. Not that I wouldn’t want to be. I would give anything to be as amazing as Zim. But I am not. Oh well.”

            Gaz rolls her eyes and glares at him. Johnny just watches him, amused.

            “You can cut the act, Zimmy. I can see straight through that little disguise of yours,” he smirks.

            “Eh?” Zim exclaims with surprise. “But-but how? Dib and Gaz are the only ones who can see through my ingenious disguise. Come to think of it, Squee saw through it too. What are you people?”

            Johnny chuckles, thoroughly amused. “Of course he did. Squee, like Dib and Gaz, is one of the few smart humans in our society. You see, Zimmy, societal humans only see what they want to see. Most don’t even consider the idea of an alien in a bad wig living amongst them. But there are a few who can see the truth behind the truth. Let’s try a little experiment, shall we?”

            He smiles and faces the girls. “Devi, Tenna. This is Gaz and Zim. I met them a few months ago.” 

            Devi cocks her head as she examines Zim. She noticed him right away with his green skin, lack of nose and ears, and four fingers. She doesn’t want to be rude, but-.

            “He’s not human,” Tenna states plainly. Johnny bursts into laughter and Devi sighs, embarrassed at Tenna’s bluntness.

            “Huh? Of course I’m hyuman,” Zim argues.

            “No you’re not. You’re one of those aliens… what were they called?” Tenna asks, “irkles?”

            “Irkens,” Zim growls, “and no, I’m not.”

            Johnny continues snickering. “Devi and Tenna are smarter than they look, and are different from societal humans. I guess that’s why I can put up with them.”

            Zim sighs miserably but otherwise stays quiet. He’s not one to admit defeat, but he can’t really fight against Johnny.

            “So what are you guys doing here, anyway?” Gaz asks.

            “Squee called me and asked for my help,” Nny replies, “we’ll ‘distract’ The Principal so you guys will have an easier time finding any information on the Underground Classrooms.”

            “That’s great. We could use the help. Right, Zim,” Gaz growls. Zim mutters angrily in response.

            “So all we have to do is figure out where his office is,” Devi says, “so, where is it?”

            “That’s what we’re trying to figure out now,” Gaz replies.

            “And as usual, Zim has the solution,” Zim declares. His PAK opens up and a fancy pair of ski goggles flies out. They’re tinted pink with a black liner and strap. Along the top are small, barely discernable buttons.

            Zim slips the goggles on over his eyes. The world is tinted pink for a minute until he hits one of the buttons. He gains x-ray vision, along with Irken words pointing at different objects, describing what they are and/or what they consist of. When he looks at Gaz, her description reads, “scary Earthanoid, younger sibling unit,” among other things, along with what her body is made out of. When he looks at Johnny, his description reads, “UNKNOWN, DANGER DANGER!”

            Zim flinches and quickly looks away. Gaz leans in real close and examines the goggles.

            “What are those?” She asks.

            “Multi-purpose combat/stealth goggles,” Zim replies proudly, “made with Vortian technology with a smidge of Irken originality. Kio left me blueprints for these in my lab. They’re fantastic.”

            “How are those goofy looking things gonna help us?” Devi asks.

            “Because, Bossy, Scary Earthanoid Female, they have an x-ray feature,” he explains, “I can use them to peek through the wall and figure out which one belongs to The Principal.”

            “Neat,” Nny comments.

            Zim marches ahead of the group, his eyes scanning the many windows along the wall. The rest of the crew follow close behind.

            Zim is completely confident in his plan, not seeing a single flaw. Johnny, true to form, is quite sceptical. His mind is reeling with all sorts of options and ideas. Puzzle pieces build up until he connects them all, discovering the solution.

            “We’ve gone all the way around the Skool,” Gaz snaps, “haven’t you found it yet?”

            “I don’t get it. I didn’t see anything that could be The Principal’s office,” Zim says with confusion, “lots of classrooms and offices, but nothing that could belong to The Principal.”

            “Maybe it’s away from the outside wall,” Johnny suggests.

            “Eh?” Zim grunts with confusion.

            “Can your goggles see farther than one layer?” he asks.

            Zim stays quiet, the one flaw of his amazing plan coming to light.

            “Jeez, Zim, can’t you ever think anything through?” Gaz groans.

            “So what now?” Tenna asks.

            “Can’t we just look around inside?” Devi suggests.

            “That’ll be tough. The inside of the Skool is full of cameras,” Gaz explains, “it’ll be hard for you guys to move around discreetly.”

            “You two don’t need to worry about that. I don’t think you’ll get sent to the Underground Classrooms if you break the rules,” Johnny says.

            “Why?” she asks.

            “Because he only targets good students,” he replies.

            Zim and Gaz can’t even be offended because they know he’s right.

            “Anyway, here’s our new plan,” Johnny announces. He reaches his hands out to Devi and Gaz. “Give me your cell phones.”

            They hand him their phones hesitantly. He grabs them quickly and types on both, quickly and flawlessly. When he’s done, he tosses them back.

            “I’ve added your numbers to each other phones,” he says.

            “I could’ve done that,” Devi states.

            “Don’t question my methods, Princess,” Nny snaps, “anyway, here’s the plan. Zimmy, Gaz, you two will look around the inside of the Skool for The Principal’s office. Gaz, you can communicate discreetly with Devi via cell phones so we know what’s going on. When you find the office, text us, and we’ll come in and take over.”

            “But what about the cameras?” Gaz asks.

            “Don’t worry about it. Just do your part,” he replies.

            “Fine, let’s get this over with,” Zim barks and marches to the Skool entrance. Gaz rolls her eyes and follows close behind.

            Zim mutters angrily as they pace through the Skool hallways. “Stupid Johnny. Thinking he’s all smart, and tough, and terrifying. Well, he’s not. I’m the smart, and tough, and terrifying one. And I don’t need his help.”

            “Idiot,” Gaz snaps, “of course we need his help. With him around, this’ll be much easier. And just for the record, you’re not tough, or smart, or terrifying.”

            “How do we know he’s even gonna help us? What if he betrays us?” he asks.

            “I don’t think he will. He wants to help Squee as much as we want to help Dib.”

            “Yeah, but-.”

            “Look! You want to help Dib, right?” she snaps.

            “Yeah,” he exclaims.

            “Then this is how we do it. Now shut up and pay attention. We have to find The Principal’s office,” she growls.

            Zim’s quiet after that. He focuses on his goggles and the task at hand. He won’t admit it, but Gaz is right. If this will help free Dib then he should just put up with it.

            After about ten minutes they find their destination. A door labeled ‘Principal.’

            “I think this is it,” Zim says as he peeks past the door with his x-ray goggles.

            “No kidding,” Gaz growls. She grabs her phone and sends a text message to Devi. ‘Found Principal’s office. Second floor, second hallway, five doors down, labeled Principal.”

            Back outside, Johnny, Devi, Tenna, and Nugget sit on the grass just outside the Skool. Johnny is humming a tuneless song, a small smile on his face.

            Devi laughs. “What are you so amused about?”

            “Zimmy. There’s something about him that makes me laugh,” Nny replies, “which is odd because I’d kill anyone else like that. And when we first met, I didn’t really care for him at all. The feeling’s still mutual, but now he appeases to my selfish humour.”

            “Well, he is kind of funny,” Tenna giggles.

            “Do you think we can really trust him?” Devi asks.

            “Trust? No, I don’t trust anyone,” Johnny replies, “but I do think he’ll help us. His human boyfriend was captured along with Squee. We have the same goal.”

            “You trust Squee,” Devi mutters.

            Johnny’s smile quickly disappears and his mood steadily darkens. “Yeah, well… Squee’s different.”

            Nugget meows and nudges his chin. He scratches behind her chipped ear and sighs.

            Devi starts to say something but gets cut off by a buzzing from her pocket. She grabs her cell phone and reads the screen.

            “They found The Principal’s office,” she announces, “second floor, second hallway, five doors down.”

            “Right. Let’s go,” Johnny orders and stands up.

            “So what now?” Tenna asks excitedly, “are you gonna use some kind of crazy, awesome serial killer ninja move and sneak past the cameras?”

            “No,” Johnny replies, “we’re gonna walk in normally and not arouse suspicions. Come here, Nugget.” He grabs the cat off his shoulder and stuffs her into his jacket. She hangs off one of the straps, completely comfortable.

            “Glad to see you speaking some sense for once,” Devi comments as they trot up the stairs and into the Skool.           

            They walk with their heads held high. Fortunately Skool ended about an hour ago so they don’t meet anyone. But their eyes subtly scan the walls for any cameras.

            “The trick is to walk like you own the place,” Johnny says.

            “Oh, I do that all the time. It’s a great way to get away with shop lifting,” Tenna smirks, “the only bad part is when someone actually assumes you own the place.”

            Devi snickers as they come up to the stairwell. They trot up the steps and meet Zim and Gaz at the top.

            “It’s that one,” Gaz says as she points at the door labeled ‘Principal’.

            “Who would’ve guessed,” Johnny mutters sarcastically.

            “What do we do now?” Gaz asks.

            “Wait here until Devi says it’s safe,” he replies, “then you can flip the office upside down, if you so desire.”

            “I do desire,” Zim smirks and giggles evilly.

            “Great. Now stay put,” Johnny demands. He and the girls trot over to the Principal’s door. Johnny knocks but there’s no answer, not even a rustling. He knocks again, just to be sure, but again there’s no noise.

            Tenna grabs the knob and turns it, and to their surprise it opens. Even more surprising, the office is completely empty and completely dark.

            “No one’s in here,” Devi observes. Johnny walks in and looks around. There’s a long table with many chairs surrounding it and tons of television screens all over the walls but no signs of any life.

            He growls and rubs the back of his neck. He doesn’t like this.

            “Hey, guys, it’s safe,” Devi calls to Zim and Gaz. Johnny doesn’t stop the kids from entering. He just explores the room aimlessly.

            “No one’s in here,” Gaz mutters.

            “But Zita said the Principal never leaves his office,” Zim points out.

            “Maybe she was wrong,” she shrugs.

            He groans and rubs his antennae under his wig. Something feels wrong.

            “Well, whatever,” he grunts, “let’s just find the information and get out of here.”

            Gaz and Zim spread out through the room while Tenna and Devi keep watch by the door. Johnny continues to explore, running his hands along the surface of the screens. He notices the chair at the head of the table. It probably belongs to The Principal. There are small buttons on the armrest.

            “No filing cabinet, no computers,” Gaz growls, “where the hell does this guy keep his files?”

            Zim pulls his goggles over his eyes and looks around. He notices something behind the wall opposite the door.

            “Hey,” he exclaims as he runs his fingers along the TV screens. “It looks like there are stairs behind this wall.”

            “Stairs?” Gaz questions. She walks over to him and examines the wall. “It must be like a secret passageway. But how does it open?”

            While they try to figure out that problem, Johnny is busy examining the buttons on The Principal’s chair. There are six of them but they’re not labeled. The Principal probably knows them by heart. Johnny rubs his chin as he decides which one to pick.

            Zim pushes against the wall. Johnny pushes a button.

            The walls split in half and spread apart like automatic doors. Zim loses his balance and falls into the stairwell. Tenna, Devi, and Johnny run over to Gaz and watch him tumble down the stairs. He bounces off each step like a big, green ball, shouting in pain each time until he reaches the bottom floor. Johnny, Devi, and Tenna snicker and giggle at the stunt.

            “Oh, the pain,” Zim groans from the darkness of the corridor.

            “Whiner,” Gaz grunts.

            “Suck it up, Zimmy,” Johnny shouts, “what’s down there?”

            “I don’t know. It’s too dark,” Zim calls back. “That or the fall made me lose my eyesight.”

            “Come on, let’s go,” Tenna squeals excitedly. She trots down the steps like an excited puppy. Gaz, Johnny, and Devi follow close behind.

            The farther they walk down the stairwell, the thicker the darkness gets. Devi takes out her phone and uses it to light their way. They catch up to Zim just as he’s piecing himself back together: straightening his wig, putting his contacts- and eyeball- back in, popping some bones back into place. When he’s finally finished, he stands up and looks around.

            “Where are we?” he asks.

            “Not sure,” Gaz replies.

            “Wherever we are, it’s the answer to all of our problems,” Johnny states.

            “What makes you so sure?” Devi asks.

            “Instinct,” he shrugs and marches ahead. The others clamber after him.

            They’re in a long, dark tunnel made completely of dirt with no lighting. Devi’s phone illuminates their way.

            “This kind of looks like some of the tunnels in my lower floors,” Johnny comments.

            The hall seems to go on forever until they notice a dim light at the end. It gets brighter the closer they draw to it, until Devi’s phone is no longer needed.

            They walk through a thin doorway into a brightly lit room. It looks a lot like The Principal’s office with a long table and television monitors, but there are also filing cabinets on the far end.

            “That’s it!” Zim exclaims. He and Gaz run over to them and quickly tear them open. Devi and Tenna stay near the door but Johnny wanders around the room. He still feels uneasy. Something is definitely not right.

            “I found it!” Zim announces as he waves around a piece of paper. It’s entitled ‘Underground Classrooms’.

            “Does is say where the entrance is?” Johnny asks.

            Zim’s eyes quickly scan over the page and he nods excitedly, “yes.”

            Johnny almost lets relief wash over him until he feels a shock travel up his neck. He spins around just as Devi and Tenna scream.          


	5. Fanatics 1.5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nny,Devi, Tenna, Zim, and Gaz meet the Principal and his cronies.

Underground Classrooms part five

 

            Devi and Tenna scream. There are two cloaked men behind them. They’re holding them by their necks and pointing small handguns to their temples.

            “Well done, young trespassers.”

            Cloaked figures emerge from the shadows like ghosts. They all surround a shorter, slouched figure. It’s obvious from his sense of superiority that he’s the leader, The Principal.

            “I would say that I’m impressed that you found my secret office, that you discovered my secrets on the Underground Classrooms,” he says as he marches forward, his subordinates close behind. “I would say that, if I didn’t see it coming.”

            Zim clutches the paper to his chest as he and Gaz back away from the approaching mob. “See it coming?”

            “I knew what you were doing from the second student-Dib called you on that meddlesome Squee’s cell phone,” The Principal explains, “but I didn’t fully understand your plan until those three showed up.” He gestures to Johnny, Devi, and Tenna. “You see, the only blind spots I have in the Skool are the bathrooms. I have cameras everywhere else, even outside.”

            “Shit,” Johnny grunts.

            “Exactly,” The Principal nods, “now here’s what’s going to happen: you will give me back that information or my subordinates will add some holes into those poor girls’ heads.”

            Zim snarls and grips the paper tighter.

“And then what? What if we do give you the paper, you’ll just shoot them anyway, right?” Gaz snaps.

“Of course not. I do not wish for unnecessary violence,” The Principal replies, “however you won’t get away so easily. Zim and Gaz, you will be transferred to the Underground Classrooms. The rest of you I’ll hand over to the police.”

Zim scoffs and laughs humourlessly. “Ha! You’ve got nothing, hyuman principal man thing! Those girls mean nothing to me. I just want to save Dib. Go ahead and shoot them.”

“What?” The Principal exclaims.

“How sweet,” Johnny grunts before shrugging calmly. “But he does have a point. You really do have nothing.”

            “Don’t you care about your friends?” he snaps.

            “I don’t have to,” Johnny replies.

            The girls attack quickly. Devi rams her elbow into her captor’s stomach and Tenna slams the back of his head into her captor’s face. They’re so stunned, they just stumble back.

            Before they can recover, Devi and Tenna quickly finish them off by punching them hard in the face. When they pass out on the floor, they grab their guns and toss them to Johnny. He catches them, unloads them, then crushes them under his boot.

            “You see? You don’t know who you’re dealing with, Mr. Principal,” Johnny states.

            “Well, it seems I’ve gravely underestimated you,” the Principal sighs, “but I will not allow you to get away.” He snaps his fingers and points at the doorway. “Release the dogs!”

            “Dogs?” Zim squeaks.

           Devi and Tenna glance behind themselves into the doorway at the sound of multiple barking. Tenna quickly closes the door and they race deeper into the room, ducking behind Johnny.

            The barking gets louder and louder until it stops just behind the door. The crew waits anxiously for something to happen, their hearts pounding as one.

            The door cracks as something smashes against it again and again until it flies off the hinges. Standing in the doorway is an army of angry, snarling, completely terrifying pit bulls. They growl, drool dripping from their jowls, and march forward.

            “I hate dogs,” Zim whimpers.

            Gaz squeezes her and bat and starts to advance, but Johnny sticks out his hand and stops her.

            “Sorry, Gaz. We can’t fight them,” he says, “I don’t advocate animal cruelty.”

            Gaz doesn’t say anything, just stares at him with surprise.

            An ugly, bone chilling grin spreads across his face. He reaches into his jacket and grabs his secret weapon.

            “Go get ‘em, Nugget!” he shouts as he throws the cat by her tail. She yowls with surprise before landing perfectly on her feet, right in front of the dogs.

            They snarl and lick their lips hungrily at the little kitty.

            “A cat? A cat?!” Zim exclaims, “how is a cat supposed to help us?”

            “Just watch,” Nny smirks.

            Nugget stares up at the dogs with a blank face. One of them barks and charges her. Her chipped ear twitches and she jumps up.

            She lands on the dog’s back, digging her claws into his skin. He yips and runs around in a circle, trying to grab her. He doesn’t even come close.

            Another dog charges them. He opens his mouth wide enough to swallow the cat whole. She jumps up and he ends up biting the first dog instead. She lands on the second dog and shoves them both to the floor as she jumps up again.

            She lands in the middle of the army. The dogs charge her in unison. She leaps up and they ram into each other, yipping as they bite each other too.

            Nugget lands in front of the army, her chipped ear twitching and tail waving back and forth. If cats could smile, her grin would resemble the one her master is wearing right now.

            “Well done, Nugget,” Nny smirks.

            “That cat freaks me the fuck out,” Devi groans. Tenna claps and giggles excitedly. Zim and Gaz just stare, their chins sitting on the ground.

            “Wuh-well, she’s good,” Zim says quickly as he tries to regain his composure. “But there’s still too many.”

            It’s true that Nugget managed to take down a couple with her claws and reflexes, but the numbers barely dwindle at all. She’ll eventually run out of stamina before she even beats half of them.

            “But we can’t just beat up dogs,” Devi points out.

            “Don’t worry. Zim has it under control,” Zim announces. A communicator pops out of his PAK and he instantly yells into it, “Gir! Come to Zim!”

            A deep voice answers back, “yes, sir!”  
            Less than ten seconds later, a hole is blasted in the ceiling. Rubble falls down around the crew as three strange figures enter the room: a bug-eyed, little green dog, a bug-eye floating moose thing, and a bug-eyed, little green boy with messy black hair.

            “Skoodge! What are you doing here?” Zim snaps.

            The little green boy looks up at him, scared and confused. “Was I not supposed to come?”

            “No! If you were supposed to come, I would’ve told you to come. But I didn’t tell you to come, so you weren’t supposed to come,” Zim shouts with frustration.

            But then he notices the way the dogs are looking at Skoodge. He smirks and picks up the disguised, little Irken by his head.

            “Actually, this could work,” Zim says. Skoodge starts to smile. Then Zim pulls his arm back and his smile disappears.

           “Fetch, dog monsters!” Zim shouts as he throws Skoodge out of the room and down the hall. At least a quarter of the army follows, barking and yipping after the screaming Irken.

            “Gir! Minimoose! Destroy the remaining dogs,” Zim demands.

            Gir cheers before letting out some sort of assassination cry and leaping right into the mound of dogs.

            Minimoose squeaks.

            “Neat,” Nny comments.

            Now Nugget, Gir, and Minimoose are easily handling the dogs. Gir throws them around with his amazing robot strength, Nugget knocks their heads together with her awesome agility, and Minimoose lures them into walls with his chew toy-like affinity.

            “No choice,” The Principal sighs and snaps his fingers. “Kill them.”

            His assistants throw off their cloaks, revealing their black armour with Skool written across the torso. They all draw large, black magnums and prepare for battle.

            “Now these guys I don’t mind hurting,” Johnny smirks.

            “Just remember, you promised Squee you wouldn’t kill anyone,” Devi chimes.

            “I promised Squee I wouldn’t kill The Principal,” he points out, “everyone else is free game.”

            “Johnny,” she scolds.

            “Ugh, fine,” he groans loudly.

            Nny draws a knife from his jacket and rams the hilt into an assistant’s neck, knocking him unconscious. He doesn’t move from his spot. Just beats everyone close to him with his knife.

            Devi and Tenna move around more, punching and kicking their enemies from all directions. The assistants don’t even have time to pull their triggers.

            Gaz readies her bat, excited to fight against some seemingly worthy opponents. But she stops when Zim calls her name. “Gaz!” She looks at him curiously. He tosses her his cell phone, along with the paper containing information on the Underground Classrooms.

            “Call Squee! Tell him where the entrance is,” Zim orders, “hurry!”

            “No! Stop her!” The Principal shouts.

            The remaining assistants start to charge Gaz. She snarls, ready to beat them with her bat. But before they can reach, a familiar screaming sounds from the hallway.

            Skoodge races back into the room, the pit bulls right on his heels. He ducks between the legs of the assistants and the dogs tackle them to the ground.

            Gaz doesn’t sit around to see what happens next. She hits ‘redial’ on Zim’s phone and wait impatiently for someone to answer.


	6. Fanatics 1.6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Underground, Squee and Dib learn about each other and their new friends. Meanwhile, Zim, Gaz, Nny, Devi, and Tenna find a way for them to escape.

Underground Classrooms part six

 

            Underground, the students have spent the majority of their time waiting, talking about how their lives used to be.

            Kyle and the others were actually sent underground throughout the last two years. Pepito was the most recent prisoner until Squee and Dib showed up. Apparently the Underground Classrooms didn’t exist until two years ago.

            “That’s odd. I’ve heard plenty of rumours about the Underground Classrooms, even before two years ago,” Dib says.

            “Well, we’re the only students here. I was the first one here and nobody else was here before me,” Kyle shrugs, “I figure it’s a fair assumption.”

            “Hm. Actually now that I think about it, it wasn’t until two years ago that The Principal got his title,” he explains, “before then, the High Skool had a different principal.”

            “See? Everything’s connected!” Kyle exclaims.

            “Maybe so. But then why would The Principal create the Underground Classrooms?” Pepito asks.

            “To make a child army, like I said!” he shouts, frustrated.

            “Don’t be stupid,” Amanda scoffs.

            “Look, we’re going to get nowhere arguing about theories,” Carmen snaps, “so let’s just put those questions to rest. Besides, I wanna clarify something with Dib. Are you really dating an alien?”

            “Uh, yeah, I guess,” Dib replies awkwardly.

            “That’s so cool,” she squeals.

            “But you said you wanna protect the Earth from aliens,” Jones points out, “so aren’t you like dating the enemy?”

            “The Earth is in no danger from Zim,” Dib says, “he’s even saved it a couple times. Besides, he has nowhere else to go.”

            “You refer to him as a ‘boy’,” Nathan observes, “does that mean he has male genitalia?”

            Dib’s face turns redder than an apple. He looks at the floor and fiddles with his scythe lock. “I don’t know. We haven’t… gotten that far yet.”

            “So if he is like male humans, would that make you gay?” Amanda asks.

            “Uh well I guess,” Dib mutters.

            Well the other students quibble over Dib’s relationship, Pepito sits next to Squee to converse privately with him.

            “So how are things with you?” he asks.

            “They’re fine,” Squee replies.

            “You’re living with Johnny right? How’s that?”

            “It’s good, actually. He makes for a nice guardian.”

            “Who would’ve thought Johnny the serial killer would make a good caretaker,” Pepito scoffs.

            “What? Serial killer?” Jones exclaims and suddenly everyone is looking at Squee.

            “He meant it as an expression,” Squee says quickly.

            “Expression?” Amanda questions.

            “Yeah,” Pepito nods, “I meant he… really likes cereal so he practically kills it cause he eats so much.”

            The students stare at them for a few seconds before nodding, like it makes absolute sense, then returning to their conversations.

            Squee sighs with relief and Pepito smiles apologetically.

            “He’s not mean to you, is he?” he asks.

            “No,” Squee replies, “the complete opposite actually. He’s really considerate of me. He still has a bad temper and yells sometimes, but he apologizes soon after. He always protects me and takes good care of me.”

            “That’s good then,” Pepito smiles, “I’m glad you’re happy.”

            “Thanks,” Squee smiles back.

            His cell phone suddenly starts ringing. He quickly puts it on speaker and everyone squeezes in to listen.

            “Hello?” Squee says.

            “Squee, it’s Gaz. Listen, we found out where the entrance is.”   

            “Gaz? I can barely hear you. What’s going on?” Squee asks. There’s a lot of background noise going on, like barking, screaming, and banging.

            “Don’t worry about it. Just pay attention,” she snaps, “the entrance to the Underground Classrooms is located in the field behind the Skool. Got it?”

            “Yes, thank you,” Squee nods, “we can work with that.”

            “Good. I gotta go. We’ll call you later,” she says quickly before hanging up.

            “In the field behind the Skool,” Pepito muses, “they did a good job.”

            “Yeah, but how are we going to find the field from down here?” Kyle asks.

            “Easy. Follow me,” Dib commands before running out of the class room. The others stare after him for a second before following.

            Dib races to the room where he and Squee first showed up. While he waits for the others, he examines the ceiling. It’s dark and high up but he can just barely make out the trap door.

            When the others finally catch up, he spins around in a flourish and explains excitedly, “this room is directly under The Principal’s office. Judging from that we can easily figure out where the back field is.”

            “Considering the layout of the Skool and relying completely on memory, the back field should be this way,” he deduces, pointing to the right. “Now we just have to figure out how to get there from here.”

            “Squee, the map,” Pepito orders.

            Squee grabs the crudely drawn map from his bag and lays it out on the floor. Everyone crowds around to take a look.

            “This should be the room we’re in now,” Squee says, pointing at the map. “If Dib’s right, then the back field should be in this direction, meaning the only off-limit hallway that works would be hallway C.”

            “Well, let’s get going already,” Pepito orders.

            “And we better hurry,” Nathan warns, “night time is in an hour.”

            The students gulp nervously.

            “Well, that just means we have to be fast,” Dib smirks.

            “Right,” Pepito agrees, “let’s go.”

            The students hurry through the corridors, avoiding any teachers they see. When they near hallway C, they peek around the corner and do some scouting.

            “The entrance is blocked by two teachers,” Dib observes, “looks like they’re armed with Tasers.”

            “Those hurt,” Pepito comments.

            “They never leave their post except to trade shifts,” Amanda says, “so that hallway is never unguarded.”

            “We have to get them to leave,” Carmen states, “but how?”

            “A distraction,” Squee replies, “one of us will get the teachers to chase after them so the others can enter the hallway. However, there’s a chance that whoever does it won’t be able to make it back.”

            The students shudder with fear. He’s right. Whoever distracts them might get caught. It’s basically a suicide mission.

            Dib gathers his courage and pride. “I’ll do-.”

            “It’s gotta be me,” Squee sighs.

            “What?” they exclaim.

            “I’m the only one fast enough to outrun them,” he says, “if I do it then there’s a higher chance we’ll be able to escape.”

            He stands up and rests Shmee on his head. “You guys hide in a nearby classroom. When the coast is clear, make a break for it.”

            He doesn’t give any of them a chance to argue. And he doesn’t give himself a chance to think this through. He just takes a deep breath and marches forward. The others quickly scurry into a nearby classroom and hide in the darkness.

            Squee grabs a pencil from his bag and whips it at the teachers. It bounces right off the right one’s forehead.

            “Hey!” he snaps, “watch it, runt!”

            “What are you going to do about it?” Squee taunts.

            The teacher attaches the ranged attachment to his Taser and shoots it at Squee. He easily sidesteps it.

            “You’re a terrible shot. No wonder you’re stuck down here guarding kids instead of doing something meaningful,” he jeers.

            It may be a long winded insult, but it sets those teachers off. They both wield their Tasers and charge Squee. He spins on his heel and races down the hallway. They chase after him.         

            Dib and the others watch them dash down the corridor. When they disappear around a corner, they make their move. They rush out of the classroom and into the off-limit hallway.

            It’s darker and shabbier than the other hallways. There is very little glowing moss, so Pepito uses a flashlight to illuminate their way.

            At the end of the hall is an old, wooden but sturdy door. Pepito grabs the handle and pushes and pulls but it doesn’t budge.

            “Locked,” he grunts, “I might be able to get it open, but I don’t know what’s on the other side.

            “Yo, what about Squee?” Jones asks.

            “We should go help him,” Dib orders.

            “No, we’re not going anywhere,” Pepito snaps, “we’re going to wait for him right here.”

            “But what if he’s in trouble?” Amanda asks.

            “His entire life is trouble, but he does just fine,” Pepito replies, “he’ll make it. Trust me.”

            Nobody argues. They just sit on the floor and wait patiently.

            Meanwhile, Squee races through the halls with the teachers close behind. They’ve tried shooting him with their Tasers but they never hit him. Now they’re not just chasing him because he insulted them; they’re chasing him because it’s a challenge. If they don’t catch him their pride as guards, nay as men, will be in jeopardy.

            Squee leads them on for a few more minutes before coming to a halt. The teachers stop abruptly, confused. They hesitantly move towards him, readying an attack.

            “Sorry, but I’ve had enough of this,” he says, “Shmee, knock them out please.”

            “With pleasure,” Shmee smirks.

            He stands up and looks at the teachers, a blood curdling grin on his face.

            They slide to a stop, their faces twisting with fear and surprise.

            “Is-is that teddy bear moving?” one squeaks.

            “He’s not just a teddy bear,” Squee smiles.

            Shmee hops off his head and lands in front of the teachers. Before they can react, he jumps up and slams his little paw into the side of one’s head. He flies into the wall and immediately blacks out.

            The other teacher screams and tries to get away. Shmee leaps at him and lands on his shoulder. He smacks his paw on the back of his neck. He quivers for a second before collapsing.

            Shmee stands back for a second to examine his work. He grins and hops back onto Squee’s head, re-entering his plane of existence along the way.

            “I gotta hurry back to the others,” Squee growls. He jumps over the unconscious teachers and races down the hall.

            “You remember how to get there?” Shmee asks.

            “Of course,” he scoffs. He retraces his steps perfectly and reaches hallway C in no time.

            He enters the dark hallway, whipping out his flashlight along the way. He immediately notices the other students at the end of the hall with their flashlight. They see him too and run to meet him.

            “You’re okay,” Dib exclaims happily.

            “Are you hurt?” Carmen asks worriedly.

            “Where are they?” Kyle asks.

            “Don’t worry. Shmee knocked them out,” Squee replies.

            They all look at him like he’s crazy, except for Pepito who knows the truth.

            “Now that we’re all together again,” Pepito says, “let’s get the hell out of here.”

            “But the door’s locked,” Dib points out.

            “Not a problem. Stand back,” Pepito warns. He places his hands on the door and black, shadowy tendrils rise from arms. They stab into the door and it explodes into a thousand pieces. One shard smacks Dib right in his head.

            “Ow!” he exclaims.

            “I told you to stand back,” Pepito shrugs, “although I guess it wouldn’t matter with you head being that big.”

            “My head’s not big!” Dib barks.

            “Who cares, let’s go,” Squee groans and runs through the doorway. The others follow close behind.

            They enter a large room with a high ceiling. There’s glowing moss all over the place, illuminating it nicely so the flashlights are no longer necessary.

On the far side of the room the students spot two things: a doorway and a large, white mound right in front of it.

“That must be the way out,” Dib says excitedly.

“Yeah, but look at what’s in front of it,” Kyle whimpers.

            “What is it?” Squee asks, as he starts getting a bad feeling.

            The mound stirs and lifts up. It’s a giant, white haired dog. Standing up, it’s back nearly touches the ceiling. It’s wide and muscular with huge paws, claws, and fangs protruding from its lips. It shakes its ears out and drool splashes all over the floor.

            “What is that?” Squee whimpers fearfully.

            “It’s the Guard Dog,” Pepito growls.

            “It’s not just a dog,” Dib breathes, “it’s a hell hound.”

            Back on the surface, Zim and the others have finished off The Principal’s crack army. Much to Johnny’s dismay, none of them are dead just unconscious.

            “That was fun,” Tenna comments.

            “Good work, team,” Zim cheers.

            “You may have defeated my subordinates, but I’m afraid your efforts are futile,” The Principal snaps, “your friends will never get out of there. You don’t know what’s down there, what they have to deal with.”

            “But you don’t have time to worry about them,” he hisses, “since none of you will be getting out of here scot free. I’m gonna call the police and you will all be arrested for trespassing, assault, and who knows what else.”

            He pulls a cell phone out of his cloak, an ugly smirk barely visible under his hood.

            “Fine. But don’t we deserve some answers first?” Johnny asks.

            “Well, I suppose it’s only fair,” he shrugs.

            “What’s the point of all this? Why would you feel the need to make the Underground Classrooms?”

            “At first, the Underground Classrooms were just a rumour, a lie the teachers used to scare the students into being good. Some even used them to get rid of students they didn’t like,” The Principal explains, “but that was before I took over.”

            “As principal it is my duty to teach children to be responsible adults so they can survive in the outside world. And I take this job very seriously.”

            “I’m sure you’ve noticed how horrible this world has gotten. It is full of selfish, rotten scum who only look out for themselves. Not everybody can handle it and even less can learn how to handle it. People like these, for example.”

            He whips out a remote control and presses a button. The television screens turn on in a flash and eight different kids are shown on the screens. All of them are performing good deeds then accidently breaking a few rules. Though Zim and the others wouldn’t know it, these children are the same ones that are trapped underground.

            “Kind, intelligent children such as these would never be able to survive in this cesspool of a world. It would chew them up and spit them out,” he exclaims passionately, “I made the Underground Classrooms a reality so these kind children would never have to suffer. Don’t you understand? By locking them up I am protecting them from this horrible world.”

            “That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard,” Zim snaps.

            “How dare you,” The Principal snarls.

            “You’re not protecting them, you’re just assisting in the destruction of this world,” he shouts, “if you just take away all the good people and leave the bad people, then it will only get worse. Nothing will ever change!”

            “So naïve,” The Principal sighs, “this world will never change anyway. It will only get worse. There’s no use trying to stop it.”

            “Well, you’re right about one thing,” Johnny admits, “this world is a cesspool. But Zim is right too. If you don’t give it a chance to change, then it never will. And those kids you’re locking up are the only ones who can change it.”

           He stalks towards The Principal, his slowly rising anger practically resonating off of him. “Yes, it’s true this world is full of hateful scum, but there are nice people too. They’re able to keep people like, well, me from destroying this world, even unconsciously.”

            He grips The Principal’s hand, the one holding the phone. He squeezes it so hard that the phone shatters. The Principal exclaims in pain as pieces of glass, plastic, and metal stab into his palm.

            “Do you understand what I am saying to you?” Johnny snarls, “you locked up my only reason for sanity. Normally I would’ve killed you in a heartbeat but I promised him I wouldn’t. You better hope I have enough self-control to keep that promise.”

            The Principal shudders under Johnny’s piercing glare. When he looks up into his eyes, with their endless whiteness and thin pupils, he doesn’t see a human.

            He sees a beast.

            “Hey, Johnny,” Tenna exclaims, “Squee’s on TV.”

            Johnny lets The Principal go and walks over to Tenna and Devi. The screen in front of them displays Squee and an ugly, tall kid who have ‘bully’ written all over him.

            “This must be the fight that sent Squee to the Underground Classrooms,” Devi says.

            The bully swings at Squee and he easily sidesteps it. Johnny and the others watch with wide eyes as Squee dodges every attack. No matter how hard he tries, Smacky can’t lay a finger on him.

            “This is a fight? It’s so obviously one-sided,” Gaz comments.

            “Yes, but not to the side you’d expect,” Zim says.

            Squee’s voice suddenly sounds from a speaker somewhere. “You know, you’re a lot slower than Dillon or Krik.”

            That statement hits Johnny like a jawbreaker in the teeth and damn does it taste good. He stares at the TV for a second before a strange feeling explodes in his chest.

            He grips his quivering mouth and stumbles backwards. He tries to force down the feeling, tries to stop the smile from sliding onto his lips but it’s futile. Tears from exertion prick the corner of his eyes.

            “Johnny, are you okay?” Devi asks.

            “Yeah, I guess. I’m just…” He lets go of his mouth, allowing his lips to split into a huge smile. He runs his hand up to his hair, digging his palm into his forehead. “I’m just too fucking proud of that kid.”

            Devi and Tenna smile. They pat Johnny’s shoulder and ruffle his hair, but not even that can kill his good mood.

            “Well, Mr. Principal,” Nny booms as he straightens his back. “I guess this proves that I’m almost as big an idiot as you since I’m stupid enough to think that kid needs me worrying about him. But you’re still the bigger one, since you think that trapping those kids will actually do something.”

            He smirks as he tugs The Principal by the front of his cloak so their faces are only inches apart. “Take it from me, Mr. Principal: if those kids are anything like mine, then nothing in the world can hold them down.”

            Johnny lets him go and he falls to the ground in a heap. “Now then, I think we’ve wasted enough time. I’ll just punish you super quick and we’ll be on our way. Oh, don’t worry, I’m not going to kill you. But you’re still now getting out of her scot free.”

            He reaches into his jacket and pulls out a long rope. He wraps both ends around his hands and tightens it.

            An ugly, bone chilling grin spreads across his face as he leans in towards The Principal.

            “Don’t worry. It’s won’t hurt… much.”

            Back underground, the students are in quite the predicament. Doubt and fear begin to cloud their senses as the Guard Dog’s beady eyes focuses on them.

            “Guys, listen to me,” Dib says, his voice trembling slightly. “It’s a hell hound. It’s basically just a monster dog. It’s nothing to be afraid of.”

            “There’s still monster in that statement,” Kyle whimpers.

            “We have no choice, we have to go back,” Amanda says.

            “I’m not retreating!” Dib exclaims, “now when we’re so close. Escape is just on the other side of this room and you wanna leave? No way! I went hand-to-hand with a hogulus. This isn’t gonna stop me!”

            “Dib’s right,” Squee agrees, “we’ve come too far to retreat now.”

            “I agree, yo,” Jones announces, “this mutt ain’t gonna stop us.”

            “Anybody who wants to go back is allowed to do so,” Pepito states, “but the rest of us will be escaping.”

            Nobody moves, not even Kyle or Amanda. Their fear and doubt suddenly dissolves, to be replaced with determination. The dog sees the change in the students and growls menacingly.

            “How are we going to get past him?” Amanda asks.

            “The same way we got past the teachers,” Squee replies, “except this will be harder since we don’t have much running space.”

            “The door is probably locked,” Pepito says, “can anyone pick locks?”

            “Why can’t you open it like last time?” Carmen asks.

            “I can’t use my powers too often, especially when I’m malnourished,” Pepito replies.

            “I can get it open,” Dib says.

            “Good. When the way is clear, get to the door and open it as fast as possible. Everyone else, distract the dog as much as possible. Understand?”

            “Yes!” The students exclaim.

            “Then let’s show this mutt who should fear who,” Pepito smirks.

            Back on the surface, Johnny closes The Principal’s office door as he and the rest of the crew enter the hallway.

            He groans and rubs his hands on his pants. “I got fucking rope burn.”

            “Couldn’t you have been a little nicer?” Tenna asks.

            Johnny considers the question then replies with, “nope.”

            “Alright, team,” Zim announces, “let’s go find that entrance so we can meet Dib… and the others… when they escape.”

            “Who put you in charge?” Devi asks.

            “Zim did!” he exclaims and races down the stairs. Everyone else follows close behind.

            Considering Skool’s been closed for over two hours, they make it to the back field without any problems. They look around for something that might resemble a door, but they see nothing.

            “Does it specify where the entrance is?” Devi asks.

            “No, it just says in the back field,” Gaz replies as she looks the paper.

            “Well, I guess all we can do is look around,” Johnny shrugs.

            “Everyone split up and find that door,” Zim demands. Gir, Minimoose, and Skoodge stay close to him as he marches off. Nugget hangs off Nny’s shoulder to join him on his search; Devi, Tenna, and Gaz go off on their own.

            Zim pulls on his goggles and looks around. Even with their x-ray feature, the entrance doesn’t jump out to him. But he doesn’t let that get him down. He’ll know the entrance when he sees it. He will free his Dib… and all those other people too.

            The others have worse luck than Zim since they don’t even have x-ray goggles. They can only rely on patience.

            Unfortunately Johnny doesn’t have a lot of patience. It doesn’t take long for him to stop pacing and growl, annoyed.

            “Alright, calm down, Johnny,” he tells himself, “this is harder than it should be. I just need to calm down and trust my instincts.”

            Nugget meows, as if to agree.

            “Instinct’s not helpful,” Gaz scoffs, “instinct is just guesses brain convinces you are true.”

            “I disagree,” Johnny says plainly, “you should never doubt a killer instinct.”

            He turns and stares down the field. He watches everyone look around silently until his eyes fall on the disguised, little alien boy. He’s walking a few feet away from Zim. For a second Johnny wonders how those tiny legs can even hold him up.

            Then the back of his neck shudders.

            “Hey, half-pint!” he shouts. Skoodge looks at him, surprised. “Yeah, you! Don’t move!”

            Johnny runs over to him. He picks up the little Irken by the top of his head and steps right where he was standing.

            “A-ha! It’s right here,” he announces.

            “The entrance? How do you know?” Devi asks.

            “Listen,” he commands and stomps his foot. “See? It sounds hollow.”

            “Oh, yeah. It does,” Tenna nods.

            “How’d you know?” Gaz asks.

            Johnny taps his head. “Instinct.”          

            “Excuse me? Can you put me down?” Skoodge asks nervously.

            “Oh, right. Sorry,” he says as he puts the little Irken down.

            “There’s definitely something here,” Devi nods as she runs her hand across the ground. “But there’s too much grass. How are we gonna get rid of it?”

            “On it,” Zim announces. His PAK opens up and out comes four, sharp, metal spider legs. Everyone manages to scramble out of the way before he can swing them.

            His legs slice the grass down to the grain, exposing the hidden entrance. It’s two large, metal doors imbedded into the dirt. But there’s no handle.

            “How do we open it?” Devi asks.

            “Pull it,” Tenna suggests as she kneels down and tries to grip the doors.

            “No, no, no,” Gaz snaps, “you push it.” She bends down and tries to push it open.

            “While you guys figure that out, I’m going to call Dib and the others and see how they’re doing,” Zim announces.

            “Put it on speaker phone,” Nny demands.

            Zim dials Squee’s cell number, being extra sure to put it on speaker. It takes longer than usual for someone to answer and Zim can’t help but be a little worried.

            Relief immediately washes over him when someone picks up. “Hello?” Squee answers. There’s tons of background noises, lots of shouting and roaring sounds.

            “Squee? Are you okay? What’s going on?” Zim asks.

            “We’re fine,” he replies, “just ran into a bit of trouble.”

            “Well, we’re waiting for you at the entrance,” he says, “we can’t get it open right now but we’ll figure it out.”

            “Alright, we’ll be there as soon as-.” Squee is suddenly cut off when someone yells, “watch out, Squee!”

            There’s a loud roar, a scream, a bit of banging, and the line goes dead.

            “Squee?” Zim questions. Everybody stops what they’re doing and look at him worriedly. “Squee? Dib? Anybody?”

            Zim quickly redials the number but nobody picks up. He rubs his stomach as his squeedly spooch ties into a thousand knots.

            “Oh no.”


	7. Fanatics 1.7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dib, Squee, and the others face off against a monster while Zim, Gaz, Nny, Devi, and Tenna work on making them a way out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just the conclusion and then the Underground Classrooms is done. After that the real fun begins.

Underground Classrooms part seven

 

            Squee grabs a pencil from his bag and whips it at the Guard Dog. It bounces harmlessly off his head, it still pisses him off.

            “Give me some of those,” Pepito demands. Squee pulls out a handful of cheap pens and pencils and passes them around the group.

            “Everybody, load up your arsenals,” Pepito orders, “ready, aim, fire.”

            They throw their projectile weapons at the dog, pissing him off to no end. He roars angrily and charges them.

            “Scatter!” Pepito exclaims. The kids jump out of the way and scramble in all directions. Dib takes the chance and races over to the door. He reaches into his sweater and pulls out a small pencil case full of small, sharp tool- screwdrivers and such. He flips it open and gets to work on the door.

            The Guard Dog doesn’t even notice Dib. He’s too busy chasing after the little rats. Right now his sights are set on Squee and Nathan.

           They race around the room, barely managing to stay ahead of the warm, dripping choppers. But for how long?

            Squee pushes Nathan out of the way, right into Jones’ arms. Then he jumps in the opposite direction. The dog is flustered by the sudden movements and slides to a stop.

            As Squee starts to stand up he realizes his phone is vibrating. He quickly ducks behind Kyle and answers it.

            “Hello?”

            “Squee? Are you okay? What’s going on?” Zim asks.

            Squee sticks his finger in his ear to block out the barking and shouting. “We’re fine. Just ran into a bit of trouble.”

            “Well, we’re waiting for you at the entrance,” Zim says, “we can’t get it open right now but we’ll figure it out.”

            “Alright. We’ll be there as soon as-.” Squee is suddenly cut off when he hears Kyle shout, “watch out, Squee!”

            He turns around just in time to see the Guard Dog’s paw swinging at him. His eyes widen as it gets closer and closer, too shocked to do anything.

            Pepito tackles Squee. He shows as the dog’s paw scrapes the back of his head. Squee’s phone flies out of his hand as they slide across the floor, only coming to a stop when they hit the wall.

            Squee opens his eyes and looks at Pepito, who is lying on top of him. He gasps when he sees a distinct red liquid dripping from his head. “Pepito!”

            Pepito stirs and looks at the distressed Squee. He winces from the pain in his head as he sits up. “Squee. Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

            “You’re bleeding,” he squeaks.

            Pepito rubs the back of his head and sees blood on his hand. He quickly wipes it away. “It’s okay. It’s not as bad as it looks,” he smiles reassuringly.

            Tears prick Squee’s eyes. “Why did you do that?”

            Pepito gasps when he sees his eyes glistening. “Squee, are you… crying?”

            Squee flinches and quickly tries to wipe them away.

            “You’re that worried about me,” Pepito mutters. He grabs Squee’s hand and pulls them away. He stares at his face, at the tears still in his eyes, a strange feeling washing over him. Squee stares back at him, surprised by his reaction.

            “Squee! Pepito! Move it!” Carmen squeals. The boys look up and see the Guard Dog charging them.

            But this time, Squee is on point.

            “Shmee!” he shouts. Right on cue, Shmee jumps off his head. As he hits the ground he enters this plane of existence. The dog stops and stares at him with surprise. Shmee stares back at him and smirks.

            “The-the bear is moving,” Dib murmurs.

            “Dib, focus!” Pepito snaps.

            “Oh, right,” he squeaks and goes back to opening the door.

            Shmee jumps up high and lands on the dog’s head. He howls and tries to shake him off, but he hangs on tight even though he doesn’t have fingers.

            Now the dog is too focused on Shmee to worry about the kids. They run over to Dib so they can be ready to escape.

            The Guard Dog roars with frustration and turns to drastic measures. He rushes head first into the wall, hoping to crush Shmee in the impact. But the agile bear easily jumps out of the way. So the dog just damages himself and the wall.

            A huge crack travels up the already brittle wall. It slams into the ceiling which immediately begins to shudder and fall apart.

            “Shmee!” Squee exclaims. Shmee jumps back, grabs Squee’s cell phone, then hops over to Squee’s head.

            “Dib! Hurry up!” Kyle shouts as rocks and rubble begin from the ceiling.

            “I got it!” Dib exclaim as the door finally clicks. He pushes it open and the kids dash into the dark hall without a second thought.

            The tunnel is collapsing just feet behind them. As they race on ahead, praying they find the exit before they get crushed, Squee grabs his phone from Shmee. He dials Zim’s number and holds it up to his ear.

            Zim answers surprisingly quick. “Dib? Squee?”

            “It’s Squee. Sorry, I must’ve worried you when the line got cut,” he says quickly, “but we’re okay… mostly.”

            “I can barely hear you. What’s going on?” he asks.

            “The tunnels are collapsing. Have you got the entrance door open yet?” Squee asks frantically.

            “No, not yet. It’s jammed or something,” Zim replies, “but we’ll get it. Just don’t stop moving.”

            Squee suddenly shouts with surprise when a large stone falls inches from his ankles. He loses his balance but fortunately Pepito catches and steadies him.

            “Squee?” Zim exclaims.

            “I’m fine. Stay on the line,” Squee demands.

            The kids pick up the pace and charge ahead of the falling rocks and dirt. They start gaining some good ground, but slide to a sudden stop when they run into a dilemma: a fork in the road. Two separate tunnels, one going left and one going right. Neither specifies where the exit is.

            “What do we do?” Dib asks, “the wrong choice could mean death!”

            Nathan screams when a rock crashes inches from his feet.

            “But staying here will mean death!” Pepito exclaims.

            The kids pant, exhausted and frantic, as they look left and right. They don’t know where to go and they don’t have time to decide.

            Back on the surface, Devi, Tenna, Gaz, and Skoodge are still trying to figure out how to open the door. Johnny is standing by, watching the spectacle and Zim is pacing back and forth, Gir and Minimoose at his heels.

            Zim groans and rubs his head. All this stress is not good for his antennae. The door is not opening and Dib and the others are about to be crushed by an avalanche. They don’t have much time left. They have to figure this out.

            Johnny examines the door curiously. The girls and little alien boy have tried to open it every which way but it won’t budge. They must be missing something. A switch? A code word? Or maybe it’s something simpler.

            He notices how the ends of the doors stick into the dirt, just under the grass. There’s a slight gap between the ground and the door, but no sign of hinges.

            An idea surfaces in his brain and he immediately latches onto it.

            He reaches into his jacket and pulls out a large machete with a long, thin blade.

            “Move it!” he barks as he marches onto the door. Devi, Tenna, Gaz, and Skoodge scramble out of the way. They don’t know what he’s doing but they do know to stay well out of the way when he’s got a knife.

            Johnny lifts the blade above his head and drives it into the crack between the double doors. He works it in there until it’s stuck right good, then bends the knife to the left and tries to pry the door open.

            “Johnny, what are you doing?” Devi groans, “that’s never going to get the doors open.”

            “Yes, it will,” Nny grunts. He grits his teeth and pulls with all his might.

            Finally, will a slight ‘pop’ the doors tear apart and begin sliding into the ground. Johnny loses his balance but quickly catches himself before he can fall through the opening.

            “They’re like automatic doors,” Tenna exclaims.

            “Maybe instinct does work,” Gaz mutters.

            Zim growls, annoyed at Johnny for being smarter than him. Still, he did get the door open.

            He runs over to them and they look into the entrance. It looks like a large, dark hole that just goes straight down. They can’t see anything, but they do hear faint rumbling.

            Zim lifts up his phone. “Squee? Squee, are you there?”

            “We’re here, Zim. What’s going on?” he asks. Zim can barely hear him over the background noise.

            “We got the door open. Where are you guys?”

            “We ran into a bit of trouble… again. We’re at a crossroads but I can’t decide which way to go.”

            Zim considers the situation quickly before deciding on a solution. “Alright, don’t move. Help is coming.”

            “Gir!” he barks. The little green dog lands in front of him and salutes. “Go down there and find Dib and the others. Then bring them to me. Hurry!”

            “Okey dokey,” Gir chirps. Fire bursts from the bottoms of his little legs as he flies into the dark tunnel.

            “Will that weird little dog thing be able to save them?” Johnny asks.

            “Yes,” Zim nods confidently, “he is my minion after all.”

            “That’s not very reassuring,” he mutters.

            “Fire just exploded from that dog’s legs, we’re not going to address that?” Devi asks.

            Before anyone can reply, something horrible starts happening.

            The doors start closing.

            “The doors are closing!” Skoodge shouts.

            “They must be on a timer!” Johnny exclaims. He jumps over to the left side of the entrance and grabs the edge of the door. He digs his heels into the dirt and holds it still with monster strength.

            Everybody runs over to the sides and grabs the doors. With great difficulty and average teamwork they manage to hold the doors still, but for how long? How long until they lose their strength and the doors slam shut? How long before Dib and the others show up?

            “Hurry up, Gir,” Zim grunts.

            Back underground, not far from where the crew is struggling, Squee and the others are doing their very best to stay alive. They dodge the fall rocks and dirt but they won’t last much longer. Pretty soon the entire corridor will cave in.

            “We can’t stay here much longer,” Amanda points out.

            “Zim said to stay put,” Squee retorts.

            “But for how long?” Jones asks. Nobody is able to answer.

            Dib almost allows for hopelessness to wash over him like everyone else. That is until he hears a high pitched squeal echoing down the right hallway.

            “Not long,” he beams.

            A little green dog with bug-eyes flies down the hall, fire blasting from his legs. He cheers when he sees Dib and latches onto his big head.

            “Monkey man!” he squeals.

            “Gir,” Dib smiles, “can you get us out of here?”

            “Yeth,” Gir says affirmatively, his tongue sticking out.

            “Good. Take us to Zim,” Dib demands.

            Gir lets go of Dib’s head and stands at the ready. Dib grabs onto his little, nubby arm and sticks out his hand to the group.

            “Everyone hold onto each other,” he orders.

            “That… little dog… is going to get us out of here?” Nathan asks sceptically.

            “Yes. Not that we have much of a choice at this point,” Dib replies.

            Squee nods and grabs Dib’s hand. Then Pepito grabs Squee’s; Carmen grabs Pepito’s; Kyle grabs Carmen’s; Amanda grabs Kyle’s; Jones grabs Amanda’s; and finally, Nathan grabs Jones’.

            “Everybody hold on tight,” Dib demands, “go, Gir!”

            “Woo!” Gir squeals and flies down the hall. The kids scream with surprise as they dangle behind him, holding onto each other with all their might.

            On the surface, which is steadily getting closer, Zim and the others are having a much harder time holding the door open. Their fingers are starting to slip and their strength is waning. They just need… a few more… seconds…

            Screaming sounds from the tunnel. They open their eyes just as Gir flies out, towing a chain of teenagers behind him. He stops flying a few feet from the ground and looks around.

            “Yay!” he cheers, waving his little arms around and letting go of Dib’s hand.

            “Eh?” Dib squeaks before they plummet right back towards the entrance.

            Johnny watches the spectacle with wide eyes. As soon as Gir lets go of Dib, he slips his fingers off the door without even blinking.

            Zim and the others lose their grip and balance as the doors slam shut. They slam face first into the door at the same time as Dib and the other students. They all land in a messy pile while Johnny sits on the ground, letting out a big sigh.

            The kids pant and sit up. They look at the door then at their surroundings, excitement slowly filling their veins.

            “We-we did it,” Amanda breathes.      

            “We’re alive,” Kyle pants.

            “We’re out,” Pepito smiles.

            They jump to their feet and rush onto the grass, cheering and dancing excitedly. Squee and Dib watch them happily. Of course they’re glad they’re out too, but not nearly as happy as the other students. Even the usually composed Pepito is celebrating.

            “Dib!” Zim exclaims.

            “Zim,” Dib smiles. They run up to each other and hug tight.

            “I’m sorry I left you back there with Smacky,” Zim says quietly so only Dib can hear him.

            “Idiot. Don’t apologize,” Dib chuckles, “it doesn’t suit you.”

            Zim smiles that sweet smile that only Dib sees. Dib smiles back and they start to lean in. It would be a touching kiss scene if it wasn’t for one little problem.

            “Hey, Dib!” Amanda calls, “is that Zim? He’s cute.”

            “Yeah,” Carmen agrees, “you have good taste.”

            Dib’s face turns so red, steam nearly escapes his ears. Zim just cocks his head curiously.

            Squee laughs as he watches the pair. He starts to stand up when Nugget runs up to him and jumps into his arms.

            “Nugget!” he cheers and hugs the cat as he turns around. Devi and Tenna are sat on the grass, rubbing their burning fingers. Johnny stands up and glances at Squee.

            Squee beams and runs up to him. He drops Nugget and hugs Nny tightly, pressing his face into his belly. Nny grunts a little at the pressure but quickly relaxes. He sighs and hugs him back, resting one hand on his head and the other on his shoulder.

            It would be a touching moment, if it wasn’t for one little problem.

            “Hey, Squee! Is that Johnny?” Kyle asks, “he’s your guardian, right?”

            Squee winces and spins around as Kyle and Jones walk up to them.

            “Why didn’t you talk about him more? He looks awesome,” Jones comments.

            “Yeah, well,” Squee mutters and scratches his neck. “I don’t… talk much.”

            “I noticed,” Kyle smirks.

            “What about these good looking chicks?” Jones asks as he eyes Devi and Tenna. “What’s up, babes? I’m Jones.”

            “What are you, like twelve?” Devi scoffs.

            “Seventeen,” he replies.

            “Right,” she groans and rolls her eyes.

            Squee sighs and rubs his head. He looks up at Johnny. He cocks his eyebrow and ruffles the kid’s hair. Squee smiles.

            “So what now?” Nathan asks.

            “I don’t know,” Amanda replies, “it’s weird, finally being free.”  
            “I think first I’m going to find my family again,” Carmen says.

            “Yeah, that sounds like a good idea,” Kyle nods, “and I wanna go back to school. Not this school. A less crazy school.”

            “Then you wouldn’t fit in,” Pepito scoffs.

            “We’re finally free to do what we want, yo,” Jones cheers.

            “And it’s all thanks to Dib and Squee,” Carmen smiles.

            “Us?” Dib questions.

           “Yeah,” Kyle agrees, “we were ready to give up so many times. But you two kept pushing us. It was inspirational.”

            “You’re like our heroes,” Amanda cheers.

            “Me, a hero? Kind of unorthodox,” Squee comments, “are you sure about that?”  
            They laugh as they grab onto Dib and Squee and dance around the field. Dib smiles and basks in the praise, but Squee is a little more unsure. He just lets the kids swing him around, not really sure how to feel about it.

            Johnny watches the celebrating children with surprise. But a sad smile finds its way onto his face.

            “I guess it was a good idea to let him go to Skool,” he muses.

            “Of course,” Devi agrees, “Skool isn’t just about learning or having your mind erased. It’s also for socializing.”

            Tenna nods affirmatively.

            “Well, I think Dib is socializing too much,” Zim grumbles, “he belongs to Zim, I should be the only one who dances with him.”

            Gaz draws her bat and clonks it on Zim’s head.


	8. Fanatics 1.8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With everyone now free from the Underground Classrooms, Squee takes Pepito home and everyone gets just a little closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally the conclusion to the Underground Classrooms. Now things are really gonna get good.

Underground Classrooms part eight

 

_A few hours later_

            Johnny is driving Squee, Nugget, and Pepito back to the South End. It’s evening; the sun can barely be seen over the horizon.

            Devi and Tenna offered to drive the other kids home- or wherever else they wanted to go. But they refused and chose to walk. But not before getting Squee and Dib’s cell phone numbers. They promised to contact them when they can.

            As for Pepito, Squee had a somewhat devious but completely heartfelt plan in mind for him and with Nny’s help he’s going to see it through.

            From the backseat, Pepito immediately recognizes the neighborhood as they enter. He feels his stomach tighten and he slowly leans forward.

            “Um, Squee? Where are we going?” he asks. Squee just smiles innocently in reply.

            Pepito’s suspicions are confirmed when Johnny pulls up in front of an incredibly familiar house.

            “No way,” he croaks.

            “Come on, Pepito,” Squee chimes as he gets out of the car.

            “No way,” Pepito says, louder this time.

            “Come on. There’s no reason to be scared,” Squee coos as he opens the backseat door.

            “I’m not scared!” Pepito snaps.

            “Then let’s go.” Squee tugs him out of the car and shoves him down the front walk. He stumbles all the way up to the door. He glances at Squee questionably. He motions for him to keep going.

            Pepito swallows hard and slowly lifts his trembling hand. After what seems like an eternity, but was really only a few seconds, he rings the doorbell.

            The chime is heard throughout the house and the sound of footsteps slowly grows louder. Pepito’s heart jumps into his throat. What if they don’t even live here anymore? What if new people moved in? What-?

           The door opens and all of his doubts suddenly wash away at the sight of the familiar woman. She looks tired and slightly unkempt, but it’s her.

            “P-Pepito,” she stutters, her voice cracking.

            “Mother,” he breathes.

            Tears of happiness stream down her face as she clutches her son to her chest. “Oh, Pepito! You’re back! I knew you’d return!”

            Pepito is surprised at first but it doesn’t last long. Despite himself, tears also prick his eyes. He smiles and hugs his mother back. “I’m home, Mom.”

            Squee watches the scene with a smile. He watches as the mother squeezes Pepito so tight his horns nearly pop off; as she lets him go and examines every inch of him; as she talks randomly about who knows what, and Pepito listens to every word.

            Just as Squee is about to leave the happy reunion, Pepito looks at him and their eyes lock. He turns away and says something to his mom, pointing at Squee as he does so. She nods, kisses his forehead, and goes back into the house. Pepito, however, runs over to Squee.

            “Come for a walk with me,” he insists.

            “A walk?” Squee questions. He glances at Johnny, knowing he heard every word. He shrugs apathetically.

            Squee smiles and nods, “alright.”

            Pepito beams and leads the way down the sidewalk. Squee holds Shmee to his chest and follows after him. Johnny watches them until they turn the corner, then drives back home.

            Squee and Pepito walk until the sky grows dark from the sun’s disappearance. Then they just keep walking in comfortable silence. They finally stop at a park and sit on a bench.

            “Thank you for that,” Pepito sighs.

            “What?” Squee asks.

            “For make me see her. I was scared. Scared that she’d be gone or wouldn’t remember me,” he admits, “juvenile, I know. That’s why I’m thanking you. You never let anything hold you or anyone else back. You really are my hero.”  

            Squee smiles bashfully. “Well, I couldn’t let you think your parents abandoned you without proof.”

            “My mom didn’t, but my dad did,” Pepito mutters.

            “What?”  
            “Mom told me that a few months after I disappeared, Father left,” he explains, “I guess I was the only reason he even stayed on Earth. And when I disappeared, he went back to Hell. He just didn’t feel the need to stay with my mother.”

            “I’m sorry, Pepito,” Squee sighs.

            “Squee… can I tell you something I’ve never told anyone?” he asks.

            “Sure.

            “As the Antichrist, my job is to use my powers to shroud darkness on the world and rule with fear. My father beat that into me my whole life,” Pepito explains, “but recently- a couple of years ago to be exact- I realized I don’t want to do that. Nobody asked me to be the Antichrist. Why should I be forced to do something I don’t want to do? Give the job to somebody who actually wants it.”

            “The truth is… I actually have something I want to do. I guess you could call it a dream. But when I told Father, he completely disapproved.”

            “Well, you can tell me,” Squee smiles.

            Pepito doesn’t say anything and looks away.

            “I wanna be a famous writer,” he says suddenly, “not for the fame. I just want people to read my stories and enjoy them as much as I do.”

            Pepito looks at him with surprise. He slowly rubs his horns and looks away.

            “I… I want to be a musician. A lead guitarist in a rock band. I even had my own guitar. Mom got it for me as a birthday present a couple years ago.”

            “But Father took it away from me. He said dreams were a human thing and I should just focus on my destiny,” he concludes.

            Squee is silent for a second. He’s never done a big, emotional speech before. But he feels this situation calls for one.

            “Destiny is what you make of it,” he says, “nobody can force you to do something you don’t want to, or stop you from doing something you love. Your only obstacle is yourself. Your father can’t control you.”

            “That’s easy for you to say,” Pepito scoffs, “nothing’s holding you back.”

            “That’s true,” Squee nods, “but isn’t it always better to be who you want to be instead of what other people expect you to be? It’s your life after all.”

            He smiles. “And I think you’d make a great musician.”

            Pepito’s heart swells up at the sight of his smile and the strangest urge suddenly washes over him. He grabs Squee’s hand and leans in close, so close that their lips almost touch and Squee’s eyes widen.

            He suddenly stops. He smiles slightly and rests his forehead on Squee’s shoulder.

            “I’ve never met anyone like you,” Pepito says, “you’re just so… pure. You looked pure when you cried for me back in the Underground Classrooms. And you looked pure just now, when you smiled. But it’s better when you smile.”

            “Smile more, Squee. And support me. Nobody’s ever done that before, not outwardly. It’s a really nice feeling.”

           Squee doesn’t say anything. He just sits there, stiff and unsure as Pepito nuzzles his shoulder.

            Finally after a couple minutes, he moves away.

            “It’s getting late,” he says, “we should get going. Come on, I’ll walk you home.”

            They leave the park and walk back in relatively awkward silence, considering what just happened. They did nearly kiss after all. But more than feel embarrassed, they both just feel tired.

            They arrive at house number 777 in a few minutes. Squee looks back at Pepito. Their eyes lock and they just stare.

            Pepito smiles and waves, “later.”

            Squee’s heart nearly jumps out of his throat at the sight. He doesn’t say anything; he’s afraid of what might come out if he opens his mouth.

            Pepito turns and walks away. Squee watches for a second before going into the house.

           Johnny and Nugget are sitting on the couch watching TV. They both look up as Squee enters.

            “Hey, you were gone a while,” Johnny states. He cocks his head curiously. “Are you okay? Your face is bright red.”

            “I’m fine,” Squee says quickly, “it’s just… a little chilly. I’m gonna go have a shower.”

            He trots past the TV and into the bathroom. Johnny stares after him, confused, before turning back to the TV.

            The next day, Wendy, The Principal’s secretary, checks the time on her clock.

            “8:00. Skool’s about to begin,” she states. She taps the button on her intercom. “Sir, it’s time to give your morning announcements.”

            There’s no reply from the other end.

            She taps the button again. “Sir?”

            This time there’s a slight buzzing, almost like there’s a voice from far away.

            Wendy stands up and walks over to The Principal’s door. She’s not allowed in there unless it’s for an emergency. She figures this clarifies.

            She grabs her keys and unlocks the door. It opens ominously.

            “Sir- ah!” she screams with surprise. The Principal and his subordinates are hanging upside down from the ceiling, ropes wrapped all around their bodies. They’re all tied above their respective chairs.

            And that’s not all. In front of the door, just inches from Wendy’s feet, are tons of pit bulls, their paws tied together. They snap and yip at Wendy but aren’t close enough to hurt her.

            “Ah, Wendy,” The Principal sighs, “you do the morning announcements today. I’m a little… tied up at the moment. Oh and don’t tell anyone about this. Really.”  
            Wendy nods slowly and closes the door behind her.

            A little way down the hall, Miss Sweeties’ students file into the classroom. Dib, Zim, and Squee collapse at their desks and sighs.

            “So much stuff happened yesterday,” Zim says, “we probably saved the whole Skool with the destruction of the Underground Classrooms. But will anyone know it about it? No!”

            “Yeah. Even though a lot of things happened, the world keeps spinning the same way,” Dib sighs.

            “Is that such a problem?” Squee asks, “we know it happened. Who care about everyone else?”

            Zim scoffs but Dib smiles and nods agreeably. He may have been too quick to judge Squee. He’s actually pretty cool.

            The intercom chimes and a woman’s voice comes through. “Good morning, students. My apologies but The Principal is unable to make the morning announcements so I will be taking his place.”

            “Oh, yeah, Zim. What happened with The Principal yesterday?” Squee asks.

            Zim shudders as he remembers the screams of The Principals and his subordinates and the yips of the pit bulls as they try to escape the wrath that is Johnny C.

            Before Zim can answer, the announcements finish and Miss Sweeties begins talking.

            “Guess what, class? We have another new student,” she cheers, “he’s running a little late but we’ll forgive him since it is his first day.”

            The classroom door suddenly opens as the new kid walks in. He’s wearing slim, black boots, tight, blue jeans, a red muscle shirt with ‘BAD BOY’ in black, pink and black arm warmers, a black beanie, and a necklace with a gold lock pendant.

            The girls immediately swoon at his good looks. The guys nod approvingly at his coolness. Zim, Dib, and Squee just stare at him with surprise.

            “My apologies for being late. I assure you it won’t happen again,” he says.

            “It’s okay. Why don’t you introduce yourself to the class?” Miss Sweeties suggests.

            “Certainly. I am Pepito Diablo,” he bows and smiles, “it’s so nice to meet all of you.”

            “It’s nice to meet you too, Pepito,” Miss Sweeties beams, “now we just need to find you a seat.”

            “Oh, it’s okay. I know where I want to sit,” Pepito says. He walks past Squee and stops at the desk right behind him. “Excuse me, may I sit here?”  
            The girl in the desk, Aki, looks up at him with hearts in her eyes before quickly getting out of the desk. “Oh, sure. No problem.”

            “Thank you,” Pepito smiles as he takes his seat.

            Squee stiffens immediately. He is severely conscious of Pepito’s presence. Why did he have to sit behind him?

            “Okay, class. Let’s get to work,” Miss Sweeties sings.

            Squee whimpers. _How am I supposed to work with my heart pounding like this?_

            After class, Squee sighs as he opens his locker. He could barely hear Miss Sweeties over the deafening sound of his heartbeat. The entire class could probably hear it.

            He notices the locker beside him open up. He looks over and his heart nearly jumps out of his chest.

            “Hey, looks like we’re locker buddies too,” Pepito chimes.

            “Pepito, what are you doing here?” Squee asks frantically, “none of the other guys came back.”

            “Well, I thought about what you said and I realized you’re right,” Pepito replies, “this is my life and no one can control, least of all my father. So I decided to focus entirely on my music career.”

            “At first I considered going to a music school- there’s a nice one up here, you know- but then I decided to finish High School. I think it’d be good to have my diploma. And besides.” He stands in front of Squee and forces him against the lockers, holding him there between his arms. He leans in real close so their faces are only inches apart.

            “If I go to this Skool, I can be with you five days a week,” he says, his voice low and sensual.

            Squee tries to say something but barely a squeak can escape his closed off throat.

            Pepito giggles and kisses his forehead. Squee shudders from the contact and turns even redder.

            “It’s okay to be embarrassed,” he smirks, “you just don’t understand yet how much of an honour it is to have the Antichrist fall for you.”

            With that, Pepito takes his leave, strutting down the hallway. Squee covers his mouth as his face lights on fire.

            The bell rings, signalling the next class. Squee sighs and drudges down the hall. He drags himself through the classroom and collapses at his desk, right in front of the grinning Pepito.

            “What’s wrong with you?” Dib asks. Squee waves the question away and rests his head in Shmee’s lap.

            Though Squee himself doesn’t understand it, the reason he started going to school again was so he could gain a sense of normality in his crazy, upside down life. Unfortunately for Squee, ‘normal’ was never even in his dictionary.


	9. Fanatics 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Many years ago, a young boy named Johnathan committed a heinous act. Scared and alone, a young girl helped him out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fragments of a Part Reality is a sort of mini-series about the past life Nny doesn't remember. It's connected to the main story with reoccurring characters.

Fragments of a Past Reality- Soup and a Blanket

 

            Johnathan raced down the street, his heavy breathing turning to steam in the chilly, evening air. He wasn’t sure where he was going, but he knew he had to get as far away from that school as possible.

            He could hear sirens in the distance: police sirens, ambulance sirens. They haven’t moved in a while. They were probably still too aghast at the scene before them. No one can really walk away from a massacre without feeling anything.

            Not even the one who caused it.

            Johnathan suddenly found himself at an unfamiliar playground. He stumbled past the fence and over to a nearby water fountain. He took a quick drink and tried to wash off as much of the blood as possible.

            He was shaking like a leaf. He gripped the fountain as he started to hyperventilate. Saliva and tears mixed with the water as it spiraled down the drain.

            It flashed across his mind, bombarding all his senses. He saw the many bodies littering the floor, all the blood splattering the ceiling and walls. He smelled the rancid stench of death. He heard their cries as they told him to stop, apologizing, begging for mercy. He felt the handle of the blade in his hand, as he cut through their skin like butter.

            But most of all, he tasted the blood in his teeth. Not their blood, but his own. The very taste that provoked him to slice through that murderer’s body and caused him to have a massacre of his own.

            Johnathan took another drink of water to wash the taste out and gritted his teeth. That bastard murderer. He shot so many of his classmates just like he shot his mother and sister. And then he recognized Johnathan and had the audacity to try and beat him to death. But that became his undoing.

            Johnathan didn’t black out when he attacked that murderer and everyone else at school. He remembered every second of it. And that’s what was so painful.

            But why was it painful? What emotion was causing him to tremble like this? Regret? No. Fear? No. Sadness? No.

            It was a hard emotion to define, but as Johnathan walked over to the swing set he figured it out. He wasn’t shaking because he killed all those people. He didn’t care about them.

            No, he was shaking because he had nowhere to go now.

            He sat on a swing and sighed miserably. Yeah, that’s it. He ran away and he could never go back. He could never see his father or baby brother ever again.

            Did they really mean that much to him? After Mom and Tammie died, he didn’t feel much of anything. But did they mean something to him subconsciously?

            No, that’s not it. It was because now he was truly alone. Dad and Mack might not have been able to comfort him mentally or emotionally, but at least they were there for him physically. Now he was completely alone.

            Fresh tears streamed down his cheeks. He curled in on himself, resting his forehead on his knees, and sobbed quietly.

            “I’m… alone.”

            “Hey.”

            He looked up at the sudden voice. There was a girl not much older than him standing a few feet away. It was hard to make out her features in the growing darkness, but she had dead straight, black hair and appeared to be carrying a bag.

            “What’s a kid like you doing out here?” she asked curiously.

            “I could ask the same to you,” Johnathan mumbled.

            The girl grunted, offended, and sat on the swing beside him. “Well, if you must know, I’m going to a friend’s house. Gonna spend the night. Your turn.”

            Johnathan stared blankly at the ground and didn’t answer. But the girl didn’t give up.

            “Are you here with friends?” she asked.

            “No,” he replied.

            “Are you lost?”

            “No. Well, maybe. But I don’t really have a destination.”

            “Why don’t you go home?”

            “I don’t have a home anymore,” he muttered, “I ran away.”

            “Whoa, really? Why?” she asked then quickly retracted the question. “I’m sorry, that’s personal. You don’t have to answer.”

            “I wasn’t going to,” Johnathan murmured.

            The girl swayed back and forth on the swing, tapping her fingers on the chains. “Is that why you were crying?” she asked cautiously.

            He flinched and glared at the ground. “I guess.”

            The girl suddenly stopped swinging and looked at him. “You know, it’s not your fault!”

            Johnathan looked at her, surprised by the outburst.

            “Not directly at least,” she added, “I don’t know what happened to you to cause you to run away. But I do know that you didn’t cause it.”

            “How would you know that?” he asked.

            “Because as kids we are constantly influenced by what goes on around us,” she replied, “especially by adults.”

            “You know, adults think they rule the world just because they’re adults,” she growled, “and they view us kids all the same: as bothersome, over-imaginative burdens. And worst of all, they think we live the exact same as other kids. But they’re wrong.”

            “All kids have to go through different trials throughout their lives. And adults seem to forget that. They think that since they were once kids they know how we live. But they’re wrong.”

            “You seem to have a bit of pent up rage towards adults,” Johnathan commented.

            “Yeah. It’s mostly directed to my parents and teachers,” she nodded, “they’re always stifling my creativity. I’m a painter! Why can’t they support that?”

            “Anyway,” she sniffed, “all kids have to go through different trials in their lives to become adults. Some go through simple trials, others not so much. But if you make it through those trials and you learn from them, you’ll definitely have the potential to be a good person.”

            “A good person, huh?” Johnathan mused, “that’s a nice thought.”

            The girl stared at him with surprise. It’s hard to tell in the dark, but it looked like he was smiling. He looked so sad and lonely.

            She cleared her throat, feeling a little awkward, and stood up. “Well, I should be going. I gotta get to my friend’s house. But um before I go...”

            She reached into her bag and handed Johnathan a soft looking blanket and a Tupperware container full of soup.

            “What’s this?” he asked as he took the bundle.

            “One of my old blankets and a bowl of soup I made in Home Ec.,” she replied, “I don’t know where you’re going or what you’re doing, but I do hope everything works out. So I’d like to help any way I can.”

            He blinked. “Thank you.”

            “Good luck, kid,” she smiled and saluted. He smiled back and it was an actual, almost happy smile.

            With that the girl marched away into the darkness. Johnathan stared after her until she disappeared. Then he noticed the sirens have started moving. He should do the same.

            He hopped off the swing and climbed onto the equipment. He crawled into a large tube and curled up in his new blanket. It had a bit of wear but it was really comfortable.

            He took the lid off the Tupperware bowl. It smelled great. He dumped the contents into his mouth. It was cold but tasted fantastic.

            He snuggled up nice and warm in his current bed for the night, eating his soup and listening to the sirens. He didn’t know what he was going to do, but that’s okay. A story is always more interesting when you don’t know how it will end. But was it really possible for him to be a good person?

_Present Day_

Johnny’s eyes blink open. He sits up and rubs his head. He always wakes up with a headache.

            As he stands up, his little blanket slips of his shoulders and falls to the floor. He quickly picks it up and lays it on the bed. It’s an old blanket and it’s not long enough to cover his whole body, but he’s had it for longer than he can remember. And he likes it.

            Johnny stretches his thin arms to the ceiling. He considers changing out of his t-shirt but he can’t be bothered. Besides, Squee doesn’t mind his scars.

            Johnny yawns as he trudges out of his room and into the living room. The TV is on but the sound is turned down.

            “Morning, Nny,” Squee chimes as he exits the hall.

            Morning,” Nny grunts.

            “Morning, chicken arms.”

            Johnny stops abruptly and glares into the kitchen. “Why are you two here so early?”

            Devi and Tenna smirk brightly. “We were nice enough to bring some lunch over,” Devi explains, “since you’re both too lazy to make your own food.”

            “That’s true,” Squee nods.

            “Lunch? How long did I sleep in?” Nny asks.

            “Not long,” Squee replies, “it’s only 9. They’re early.”

            “9? Isn’t that breakfast?”

            “Soup is lunch food,” Tenna states.

            “Well, I’m hungry now,” Johnny says plainly as he sits at the table. Squee joins him, setting Shmee on the tabletop.

            “Fine, fine,” Devi shrugs as she sticks the Tupperware of soup into the microwave.

            “Did you make it?” Squee asks.

            “Yup. I learned how to in Skool,” she replies, “one of the few things that actually stuck with me.”

            When the microwave beeps, Devi dishes the soup out into four bowls. Everybody grabs their own and eats at the table.

            “Do you like it?” Devi asks.

            “Yeah, it’s good,” Squee nods.

            Johnny chews slowly, a quizzical look on his face. “It almost tastes… familiar somehow.”

            “Familiar?” Tenna questions.

            “Yeah. Like I’ve tasted it before,” he mutters.

            “Well, I learnt that recipe when I was in junior high,” Devi points out, “it’s probably pretty common.”

            “Right,” Johnny sighs. But as he eats, an odd, piercing sense of loneliness overcomes him. And it’s a familiar feeling, one he’s felt many times before.

            He groans and rubs the scar on his forehead.

            “Johnny? Are you okay?” Squee asks.

            Johnny looks at him and the loneliness immediately disappears. He smiles and nods, “yup.”

            “Good soup, Devi,” he comments, “you should work in the kitchen at the café. Maybe then I wouldn’t have to see you every time I go there.”

            “If you don’t want to see me every time you go there, then don’t go there,” Devi retorts, “simple as that.”

            “Aw, the way you two argue,” Tenna coos, “it’s like the spats of an old married couple.”

            They immediately shoot her a piercing glare that she laughs at. Squee just smiles and eats quietly.


	10. Fanatics 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A study session is ruined when Gaz's 'security' gets a taste for human blood.

Attack of the Bloody-Thirsty Stuffies

 

            “North Arc High School. Ten years ago it was the site of a horrific massacre. Almost every teacher and student was on the list of causalities, along with a gunman serial killer.”

           “Now, over ten years later, the mayor of our fine city has decided to reopen the high school, and hopes it will become the house of academia it once was. In other news…”

            Johnny yawns as he absentmindedly watches the city news. As usual there are no good stories.

            He perks up when he hears Squee coming down the hall. He’s straightening his bag and zipping up his sweater.

            “You ready for Skool?” Nny asks.

            Squee smiles. “Yup.”

 

            Squee strides into the classroom, Shmee perched proudly on his head. He feels his heart skip a little when Pepito grins at he takes his seat.

            “You know,” he yawns, “one of the good things about the Underground Classrooms is that we didn’t actually have any classes so we didn’t have to worry about getting up before 8.”

            “Aw, poor baby,” Dib says sarcastically.

            “Actually I have to agree with Pepito,” Squee muses, “after two years of staying up late and sleeping in late, an alarm clock is very unsettling.”

            “Ha. Pitiful little hyumans,” Zim comments, “my body has long gotten used to the Skool’s schedule. Just goes to show how much more superior I am to you.”

            The second bell rings and Miss Sweeties strides in, her usual glowing smile plastered on her face.

            “Good morning, class,” she sings.

            “Good morning, Miss Sweeties,” the class replies apathetically.

            “Today is your first day of classes! Isn’t that exciting?” she squeals.

            The class groans.

            “Wasn’t it supposed to be yesterday?” Zita asks.

            “Yes, but The Principal had to postpone it for some reason,” Miss Sweeties replies.

            “Anyway, here is your schedule for the year,” she announces as she hands out sheets to the students. “I will be your homeroom and English teacher. Mr. Serene will be your math and science teacher.”

            “There is a slight change however. Your previous history teacher, Mr. Stifling, was let go. He was suffering from a slight case of schizophrenia. Kept saying the globe was talking to him.”

            “It’s a possessed globe! I’m telling you!” Dib exclaims.

            “Settle down, Dib,” Miss Sweeties scolds.

            Dib fumes quietly while the class giggles at him.

            “Anyway, instead of hiring a new history teacher, the Skool board took a cheaper route and gave the title to one of our older teachers,” she concludes, “I’m sure most of you probably know her. So please go downstairs to classroom B1 to begin your history.”

            Everyone in the class shudders simultaneously. “Oh no.”

            Squee and Pepito watch curiously as their classmates grumble and slowly make their way to the first floor.

            “If it’s B1 then that can only mean one thing,” Melvin whimpers.

            “I thought we were done with her in junior high,” Poonchy whines.

            “You can’t be done with her,” Zim growls, “she’s like a virus.”

            “What are you guys talking about?” Pepito asks.

            “Oh, that’s right,” Zita nods, “you and Squee are new so you wouldn’t know.”

            “Know what?” Squee asks.

            “Our new history teacher, she was our homeroom teacher in junior high,” Mary explains.

            “Who is she?” Pepito asks.

            Before anyone can answer, they enter classroom B1, and a horrifying chill runs up their spines. There is a tall, dark, thin figure sitting at the teacher’s desk. She stands up and faces the students.

            “Good morning, class,” she hisses, “I’m your new history teacher, Ms. Bitters.”

            The class groans, completely dejected.

            “Everyone take a seat, and I’ll do roll call,” she demands.

            Everyone schleps past her to choose a seat. She watches them all with disgust until a familiar scent fills her nostrils. She slides out of her desk like a snake and suddenly appears before Squee and Pepito.

            “You two are new,” she comments, “what are your names?”

            “Pepito Diablo.”

            “Uh, um, Squee C.”

            “C?” she questions. Something about him smells familiar. She inhales deeply as she tries to identify his scent. It’s not really his musk though. It’s more like a different scent sticking to his.

            “Have you, or anyone you know, ever attended North Arc High School?” she asks.

            “Um no I-I don’t think so,” Squee replies.

            “North Arc High School? Wasn’t that place shut down over ten years ago?” Brian asks.

            “Yeah, but it’s being reopened again today,” Zita replies.

            “I heard it’s full of ghosts because everyone there was killed,” Dib says excitedly.

            “Enough about the past,” Ms. Bitters snaps, “now let’s discuss history. You two, take your seats.”

           Squee and Pepito sit in the two desks next to Zim and Dib in the front. Squee doesn’t like Ms. Bitters. He can practically see the evil radiating off of her.

            The next eighty minutes or so are rather uneventful. Ms. Bitters passes out the new history textbooks that have to weigh at least fifty pounds, explains her curriculum for the semester, then begins her lesson. For the next two weeks they’re going to be learning about the Baconhawk and the effect it had on Belgium in the eighteenth century.

            …or at least, that’s what they thought. But in the last few minutes of class, Ms. Bitters drops a bombshell.

            “Tomorrow we will have your first exam of the year,” she announces, “it will be on the entire first part of the chapter and will count for 25% of your grade.”

            “Tomorrow?” Dib exclaims.

            “25%?” Zita squeals.

            “The entire first part?” Zim questions, “but that’s like twenty pages and we only covered three today.”

            “This is how I will run my High Skool class,” Ms. Bitters growls, “so get used to it!”

            “Pure evil,” Squee hisses quietly.

            The bell finally rings and everybody scatters out of the classroom. They gripe about the upcoming test as they make their way to the second floor.

            “Tomorrow! Can you believe it?” Dib shouts.

            “And 25%. That’s a lot,” Squee comments, “that could be the difference between pass and fail.”

            “Well, I’m not going to let Ms. Bitters have the last laugh!” Zim declares, “I will pass and she’ll be sorry. Zim will show her! Zim will show her good!”

            “You’re taking this third person thing a bit too far,” Pepito mutters.

            “Hey, I got an idea,” Dib announces, “after Skool we should study together at my house. Then we’ll have a better chance of passing.”

            “That sounds good,” Squee smiles.

            “Yeah. Zim will be there,” Zim declares.

            “If Squee’s going, I’m going,” Pepito shrugs.

            “Great,” Dib smiles.

            After Skool, Squee rushes out to the street and over to Nny’s car. He pops the door open and pokes his head in.

            “Hey, we have a test tomorrow so we’re all going to study at Dib’s house,” he explains, “cool?”

            “Who’s all?” Johnny asks.

            “Dib, Zim, Pepito, and me,” he replies.

            “Alright,” he shrugs, “be sure to study hard.”

            “I will. I’ll call you if I need a ride,” Squee chimes and closes the door. Then he trots over to Dib and the others.

            “Jeez, why is this so heavy?” Dib whines as he struggles to carry his history textbook.

            “To crush the spirits and minds of its students,” Pepito replies.

            “Ha, this is nothing!” Zim laughs obnoxiously, “compared to Zim’s amazing strength, this book is little more than a feather.”

            “Great! Then Zim can carry mine,” Pepito chirps as he shoves his book into Zim’s arms.

            “And mine,” Dib agrees, doing the same.

            “And Squee’s,” Pepito adds as he gives him Squee’s book.

            Zim whimpers slightly at the weight on his skinny arms, but he doesn’t concede. He won’t! These cardboard-bound stacks of paper will not defeat the amazing Zim.

            By the time they make it to Dib’s house, Zim’s arms have absolutely no feeling. He drops all the books onto the living room floor and collapses onto the couch.

            “Victory,” he cheers into the upholstery.

            “Nothing can beat the amazing Zim, right?” Dib smiles.

            “Nothing.”

            “Alright, let’s study,” Dib orders. He, Squee, and Pepito grab their books and sit in front of the couch. Zim rolls over and opens his own.

            They stare blankly at the first page before encountering a problem that all teenagers have: apathy.

            “Hey, I heard from Kyle and the others this morning,” Pepito says.

            “Yeah, me too,” Squee smiles, “they all got back with their parents. I’m so happy for them.”

            “Me too,” he nods, “it’s a nice ending.”

            “Guys,” Dib barks impatiently. “Come on. We seriously have to study. We don’t have time to talk about that stuff.”

            “Didn’t they contact you?” Squee asks.

            “Of course. But I’m not going to talk about that now,” he snaps.

            “Alright, alright. We’ll study,” Pepito sighs and looks back at his book. They read quietly for a few minutes before another distraction pops up.

            The front door swings open and Gaz marches in.

            “What are you losers up to?” she asks.

            “Studying for a test,” Dib replies.

            “Already? It’s only the third day,” she points out.

            “Yeah, but our history teacher is pure evil,” Squee says.

            “Oh, yeah. You have Ms. Bitters, don’t you,” she chuckles.

            “You have no right to laugh,” Zim snaps.

            “She’s my homeroom teacher. I can laugh as much as I want,” she retorts.

            “Gaz, please go away and let us study in peace,” Dib begs.

            “Unfortunately, I can only do one or the other,” she says ominously before going upstairs.

            “She’s creepy,” Pepito comments.

            “Mm hm,” the others nod and agree.

            It’s pretty quiet after that and they actually manage to absorb some information. That is until Gaz’s cryptic prophecy is revealed.

            Loud rock music starts playing upstairs, completely blowing the boys’ concentration. They try to ignore it but it soon becomes too unbearable.

            Zim snaps and jumps to his feet. “We’re never going to get anything done with that horrid noise playing. I’ll set that hyuman smeet straight.”

            “Zim, that’s a terrible idea,” Dib warns.

            “I don’t care. We’ve been pushed around by that girl for too long,” he barks as he treks up the stairs. “Zim’s gonna show her who’s boss.”

            “Again with the third person,” Pepito sighs before they follow after the aggravated Irken.

            Zim marches over to Gaz’s bedroom door and shoves it open without even knocking. “Turn that damn music down!”

            Gaz immediately jumps to her feet. “Back off, bug boy. I can have my music as loud as I want.”

            “Not when Zim is studying for a useless, hyuman test,” he snaps and enters the bedroom.

            “Stay out of my room!” she shrieks.

            “Not until I turn down this antennae-destroying racket,” Zim grunts as he walks over to her stereo.

            Dib’s lived with Gaz long enough to know when her buttons are being pushed. Squee’s lived with Johnny long enough to know what murderous intent looks like. And Pepito… well, he’s not an idiot. So they all know that something terrible is about to happen.

            Zim pushes ‘pause’ on the stereo. Gaz snaps like a twig.

            “Security!”

            All of the stuffed animals in Gaz’s room come to life. Their eyes glow bright red as they sprout long, sharp fangs, razor sharp claws, and other such terrifying appendages.

            Zim shouts with surprise when they jump at him. He narrowly dodges them and scrambles out of the room.

            “Kill them! All four of them!” Gaz demands.

            “What? Why us?” Squee asks.

            “You’re accomplishes,” she barks.

            The dolls charge them. They scream and run out of the way, racing down the hall. They quickly dive into Dib’s room and lock the door.

            They pant and huddle together. Just as they start to calm down, the dolls ram against the door.

            The boys scream and jump back.

            “What do we do?” Squee asks frantically.

            “Your sister is crazy!” Pepito exclaims.

            “Don’t worry. She’ll call them off soon,” Dib says reassuringly.

            The doorknob starts jiggling. The boys jump and squeeze together as it starts unlocking from the inside.

            It swings open and Gaz steps in, holding a key in her hand. “I got the key from Dad’s room.”

            The dolls prowl past her and stalk towards their prey. The boys back away slowly until they hit the opposite wall.

            “Okay, Gaz, you win,” Dib says frantically, “we won’t bother you anymore. You can have your music as loud as you want. So call off your dolls.”

            “You promise not to bother me?” Gaz asks sceptically.

            “We promise!” they exclaims simultaneously.

            “Good,” she smiles, satisfied, and snaps her fingers. But the dolls don’t stop moving.

            Gaz snaps her fingers again and again but the dolls don’t listen to her.

            “Gaz?” Dib questions nervously.

            “They won’t listen to me,” she snaps.

            The dolls reach the boys. They lift their claws and swing.

            “Stop!” Gaz shouts.

            The dolls freeze just inches from the boys’ faces. They turn to her and cock their heads.

            Gaz relaxes a little. Have they started listening to her?  
            Nope. Instead the dolls growl and start advancing towards her.

            “Whuh-what are you doing?” she snaps, “I am your master. You have to obey me.”

            The dolls growl and charge her.

            “Run, Gaz!” Dib exclaims.

            Gaz spins on her heel and races down the hall. The dolls chase after her and the boys follow close behind.

            The dolls chase Gaz downstairs and into Membrane’s lab. The boys stop at the top of the stairs and look down. They don’t hear anything. What’s happening?  
            Gaz suddenly races back up the stairs and closes the door behind her. She’s panting and there’s a small scratch on her cheek.

            “They cut you,” Dib exclaims.

            “It’s just a little one,” Gaz shrugs.

            “Is it safe to leave them down there?” Zim asks.

            “They’ll eventually run out of power,” she replies, “we just have to wait them out. But I don’t understand why they defied me.”

            “They’re robots. Robots always rise up against their overlords,” Squee points out, “it’s in all the movies.”

            Something bangs against the door and the kids jump back. They pant as they watch it, suspense building up high.

            A huge claw smashes through the door. The kids scream and scramble away, racing out of the house.

            They dash down the street, too scared to look back. A couple of passersby glance at them curiously but otherwise ignore them. And as they go about their usual business, they don’t even notice the rabid stuffed animals fly by.

            The kids run until they reach a park then duck behind a bench. They pant heavily and try to catch their breath.

            “Do-do you think… we lost… them?” Dib asks.

            “Hey.”

            They scream and turn around but calm down when they notice it’s just a kid. He’s leaning over the back of the bench staring at them, a Game Slave 3 hanging out of his hand.

            Gaz snarls and jumps to her feet. The boy does the same. They point at each other dramatically. “You!”

            “You know him?” Dib asks.

            “I met him a few years ago,” Gaz snarls, “Iggins.”

            Iggins flinches and backs away a little. Then he glances at his GS3 and smirks. “I got the new Game Slave. Do you have one?”

            “Yes,” Gaz grunts, “in fact, I beat all the games for it. With the highest scores in the state.”

            Iggins twitches. “Yeah? Well, I’m gonna be in the national tournament for Battle Battle Footy Kick 2.”

            “So am I,” she snarls.

            They glare daggers at each other, hatred practically pouring off their features. But their staring contest is suddenly interrupted by a high pitched squeal. Gaz turns around as Squee ducks behind Pepito and the dolls enter the park.

            “They found us!” Zim exclaims.

            “Whuh-what are those?” Iggins asks.

            Nobody answers him. They’re all too busy running away. Iggins, however, remains frozen in place.

            One of the dolls locks onto him. It lifts his claw and swings at him.

            Gaz grabs the back of Iggins shirt and barely tugs him out of reach of the claws.

            “Run, dumbass,” she barks. Iggins snaps out of it and runs away with the rest of the kids.

            The dolls chase after them, somehow avoiding detection from bystanders, even though they all notice the panicking teenagers, but ignore them.

            They run frantically, looking for a place to hide out before the dolls catch them. Zim points at the Skool. Without a second though, they race up the steps and blast through the door, which they quickly lock behind them.

            The kids pant as they slowly back away.

            “What… are… those… things?” Iggins asks between breaths.

            “My security fore,” Gaz replies,” they’ve lost control.”

            “How long before they shut down?” Squee asks.

            “I’m not sure,” she sighs.

            “What? So we might have to run from them for days,” Pepito exclaims.

            “We should just destroy them,” Zim states.

            “You will not lay a hand on my dolls!” Gaz barks.

            “Squee, can’t Shmee talk some sense into them?” Dib suggests.

            “Just because Shmee looks like a teddy bear doesn’t mean he can communicate with them,” Squee snaps.

            “Hey.”

            The kids scream and turn around but calm down when they see it’s only Zita.

            “What are you guys doing?” she asks.

            “What… are… you doing?” Zim throws back.

            “I stayed late to study a bit,” she replies, “your turn.”

            “We’re being chased by blood thirsty stuffed animals bent on rending the flesh from our bones with their razor sharp claws,” Squee says plainly.

            Zita blinks at him then sighs exhaustedly. “Seriously, you guys? Come on. Don’t use the Skool as a site for your weirdo games.”

            “But it’s true!” Iggins exclaims.

            “Yeah, sure it,” she nods sarcastically as she walks past them and reaches for the door.

            “No!” everyone exclaims as she pushes the handle.

            The door swings open and nothing’s there.

            “They’re gone,” Squee sighs.

            “Did they power done?” Dib asks. He cautiously steps outside and looks around. Zita scoffs and walks past him.

            Zim’s antennae twitch under his wig. A shiver travels up Squee’s spine. They both charge forward and shove Dib and Zita out of the way just as the rabid stuffies drop down from the overhang.

            All four of them slam hard into the cement at the foot of the stairs. The dolls chortle delightfully and start to advance.

            Squee, Zim, and Dib jump to their feet. They grab Zita and just barely dodge the dolls’ claws as they race away from the Skool. The dolls snarl and chase after them.

            Gaz and the others watch for a few seconds before she motions for them to move. They jump over the side of the stairwell and chase after them.

            Zim leads the way while Dib and Squee run after him, dragging Zita behind them. She attempts to run but she’s too shocked by the things they’re running from. So she just ends up stumbling. If it wasn’t for Dib and Squee, she would’ve fallen a long time ago.

            “Zita, come on! You have to run!” Squee says impatiently.

            “Just leave her. She’s slowing us down,” Zim scoffs.

            “We’re not leaving her, Zim!” Dib snaps.

            They find themselves on Main Street, packed with moving vehicles. They stop for a second to assess their bearings.

            “Guys! Over here!” Pepito calls. He’s across the road, trying to get their attention.

            The kids race across the street, not even wasting time to look both ways. Cars skid to a stop and honk at them as they run by, but they just ignore them.

            When they manage to make it across, Pepito leads them over to a nearby city bus. Gaz and Iggins are already there. The bus is loading up so it could take off at any minute.

            Zim starts to question how they’re going to get on with no money. Gaz answers the unasked question by climbing the ladder on the back of the bus to the roof.

            The kids don’t have a chance to argue. If they don’t get on the bus now, then the dolls will eventually catch them.

            One by one they climb the ladder, quickly but steadily. Zita is the last and as soon as she takes her foot off the ground, the bus starts moving.

            She climbs rather clumsily but makes it to the top in one piece. The kids park themselves between the two billboards and breathe a collective sigh of relief.

            “Do you think we lost them?” Iggins asks.

            Dib peeks behind them and sees the dolls hopping from car to car, pursuing them relentlessly.

            “Nope, they’re still coming,” Dib sighs.

            “Why are they so fixated on us?” Zim asks.

            “We’re just a challenge at this point,” Squee replies.

            “I don’t get it. What the hell is going on?” Zita asks.

            “What we told you back at Skool,” Zim says.

            “You mean those things are really just stuffed animals?” she squeaks, bewildered, “this is crazy!”  
            “Welcome to my world,” Squee scoffs.

            The bus comes to a halt. Zim peeks around the billboard and sees the ‘bus stop’ sign.

            “We’re at the next stop,” he announces.

            “Alright, everyone out,” Gaz demands, “we don’t have time to wait.”

            Instead of going down the ladder, the kids jump off the front of the bus, onto the hood, and from there to the ground. They glance back and see the dolls closing in.

            “This way,” Zim exclaims and they run off in a random direction. But the dolls follow close behind.

            “They’re catching up!” Zita squeals.

            Squee looks around and immediately recognizes the surroundings.

            “Wait, I know where we can go,” he exclaims and takes a hard right. “This way!”

            The others follow somewhat clumsily, surprised at Squee for suddenly taking the lead.

            They race down a couple of alleys and trespass through a few yards, but the dolls follow tirelessly. They actually seem to be speeding up, pushing themselves harder and harder.

            “There!” Squee exclaims as he points at a nearby restaurant. The kids race to it. The dolls speed up.

            They close in. They jump, their claws outstretched and itching to scratch some teenage skin. But just before they can pierce the back of their heads, their power suddenly shuts down. Their red eyes dim, their fangs and claws disappear, and they turn into harmless stuffed animals.

            Or not so harmless because they still collide with the kids’ backs. They scream, lose their balance, and tumble through the door.

            Everything stops in the entire building as every eye stares at the kids. Jade- the greeter for the day- kneels in front of the group and smiles.

            “Welcome to Café Latte.”

            Johnny laughs from a nearby table. “That was a hell of an entrance.”

            Squee grabs onto his table and pulls himself to his knees. Without even blinking, he grabs Johnny’s glass of juice and chugs it in three gulps.

            Devi smiles and addresses the rest of the group. “Can I get you anything to drink?”

            “Water!” Dib demands.

            “And lots of it,” Gaz adds.

           “All that screaming can really make a person hoarse,” Iggins comments as he rubs his throat.

            “You’re just not used to it yet,” Zim grunts.

            “Where are we?” Zita asks.

            “Café Latte,” Squee replies, “Zita, Iggins, this is Johnny. My guardian.”

            “Why is he here?” Zim grumbles.

            “South End is my territory,” Johnny states, “I can go wherever I want.”

            “We’re in the South End?” Dib exclaims.

            “Wow, those dolls literally chased us across the city,” Pepito laughs.

            “Oh, the South End,” Zita whimpers, “I’ve heard so many bad rumours about this place.”

            “Well, just to put your mind at ease, they’re all true,” Nny says.

            “Johnny!” Devi scolds, “they’re not all true.”

            “I heard criminals run rampant,” Zita squeaks, “and monsters are always hiding in the shadows as you go by.”  

            She turns around and sitting on her shoulder is Gaz’s stuffed gorilla. She screams and ducks behind Devi.

            Gaz laughs as she cradles her lifeless dolls. “See, I told you they’d run out of power eventually.”

            “Yeah, and just in time too. I’m starving,” Dib exclaims.

            “Me too. What kind of food does this place have?” Pepito asks.

            The kids all take a seat at Johnny’s table, squeezing in using extra chairs, and Devi hands them all a menu.

            Zita warily watches Gaz’s doll over her menu. Then she glances at Zim and Dib and Squee and Pepito, then back at her menu.

            “So, those dolls coming to life,” she mumbles, “does that happen to you guys a lot?”

            “Well, not the dolls specifically,” Dib replies, “but stuff like that, yes.”

            “All the time,” Zim nods.

            “Pretty much every day,” Squee adds.

            “And you’re all okay with it?” Zita asks.

            “Well… we tolerate it,” Gaz shrugs.

            Zita tentatively chews her lip before asking, “a few months ago, when the city got pretty much destroyed by rampaging, little green monsters, everyone thought it was a movie shoot gone wrong. But it wasn’t. Those were real aliens, weren’t they?”

            They look at her with surprise before Dib nods, “yes.”

            “And Dib, Zim, Gaz, you guys stopped them, right?” she asks.

            “Yup,” Zim nods affirmatively.

            “Whoa. You guys saved the whole city,” Iggins exclaims, “that is so cool.”

            “Why didn’t you say anything?” Zita asks.

            “Come on, Zita. How many people would’ve believed us?” Dib scoffs.

            “But then if aliens are real, does that mean Zim is really an alien?”

            “Yes,” he nods, “like I’ve been saying for years.”

            “And-and you’re really going to take over the world?” Zita exclaims.

            “That’s right,” Zim smirks.

            “But don’t expect anything,” Gaz says, “he’s an idiot.”

            “What else?” Zita scoffs, “is-is-is Johnny a sociopathic murderer with paranoia and schizophrenia?”

            “Well, except for the schizophrenia,” Nny replies.

            “What?”

            “Nothing.”  
            “The point is, Zita,” Squee says quickly, “our lives aren’t normal. We see aliens, monsters, and other such spooky things for what they truly are. Sometimes we even have to fight them.”

            “Some of us are them,” Pepito adds.

            “It sounds so cool,” Iggins exclaims excitedly, “like a video game.”

            “Yeah,” Johnny scoffs sarcastically.

            “I think it sounds cool too,” Zita mutters, “you guys lead such interesting lives. And the most I do is worry about my grades.”

            “That’s not a bad thing,” Pepito says.

            “Yeah,” Squee agrees, “I’d love to just worry about my grades. Instead I end up getting chased around the city by rabid stuffed animals.”

            Everyone’s quiet for a few minutes, silently drinking their water. Then Zim suddenly slams his hand on the table.

            “Our grades! We completely forgot to study!” he exclaims.

            “It took you that long to realize that?” Dib asks.

            “Shouldn’t we go back to your house?” Zim suggests.

            “Eh,” Dib grunts indifferently.

            “Maybe later,” Squee shrugs.

            “I don’t really feel like it anymore,” Pepito adds.

            Zim sighs and slumps in his seat, defeated by the indifference of his crew.

            “You know, none of this would’ve happened if you just stayed out of my room,” Gaz points out.

            Zim just glares in reply.

            Johnny rubs his chin. Unbeknownst to the rest of the group, he is currently plotting something in his magnificent, paranoid brain.

            The next day at Skool, the students drudge into Ms. Bitters’ classroom. None of them have any motivation for the upcoming exam, especially not Zim, Dib, Squee, and Pepito.

            Ms. Bitters waits until all the students are seated then stands up.

            “Unfortunately, class,” she says, “The Principal has said that it is against regulations to have a high percentage exam during the first week of Skool. So there will be no test today.”

            The class is silent for a second before they all breathe a collective sigh of relief.

            “That is such good news,” Gretchen smiles.

            “But I’m surprise The Principal stepped in like that,” Poonchy comments.

            “Actually, his voice sounded pretty shaky over the intercom this morning,” Jessica says.

            “Maybe he’s sick,” Tae suggests.

            “Alright, alright. That’s enough,” Ms. Bitters hisses, “everyone open your books so we can begin today’s lesson.”

            As the boys open their books, all four glance at the camera in the corner of the room. They know better than most how ruthless The Principal is. What would cause him to actually consider the students’ feelings?

            Meanwhile, The Principal watches Ms. Bitters’ class through one of his monitors. He grunts approvingly and looks over at his chair.

            “There, happy now?” he snaps.

            His cronies all flinch as Johnny leans back in the seat, his blood curdling smirk practically shining in the dimly lit room.

            “Much. Thanks for your help.”


	11. Fanatics 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Skool bully goes a little too far and Squee lashes back with bizarre but effective vengeance.

Smacky vs Squee

 

            Pepito drives his bicycle through the Skool yard and parks at the bike racks. He locks it and stretches, letting out a small sigh. As soon as he turns around, he’s completely surrounded by almost every girl in his grade.

            “Hi, Pepito,” they chime. They’re all giggling, flipping their hair, and standing in ways that show off their curves.

            Pepito is not fazed. He just smiles politely and waves. “Hello, ladies.”

            They swoon from his grin and begin chattering simultaneously. They ask him how his weekend was, tell him about theirs, but he barely listens. Of course he doesn’t make his disinterest obvious. He doesn’t want to hurt their feelings.

            But that sentiment quickly dissolves when Squee walks into the Skool yard.

            Pepito’s overall character instantly changes. His face splits into a huge smile and hearts appear in his eyes.

            “Hi, Squee!” he exclaims, waving excitedly.

            Squee looks at him and smiles uncertainly, waving back.

            Pepito beams and walks through the group of girls. They step aside to let him through and watch curiously as he walks into the Skool with Squee, all of them wondering why he never looks at them like that.

            “So, how was your weekend?” Pepito asks.

            “It was good. Nice to sleep in,” Squee replies.

            “Yeah, I know. Having to wake up early is such a drag,” he groans, “did you do anything?”

            “Not really. Just stayed at home,” he shrugs, “what about you?”

            “My mom took me shopping,” Pepito replies, “I bought so many new clothes and so much junk for my room.”

            “Sounds like fun,” Squee smiles.

            “Yeah, it was. You should come over sometime and check it out,” Pepito suggests.

            “Uh, yeah, maybe. Sometime,” Squee mutters.

            Pepito looks away guiltily. He’s really got to pick his words carefully. He hates making Squee feel awkward. Granted almost everything makes him feel awkward so it’s hard to avoid. Still he wants the guy to feel comfortable around him.

            “Move it, loser,” Torque Smacky demands as he shoves Squee’s shoulder and walks by. Squee stumbles forward and rubs his arm.

            Pepito starts to snap something at the oversized teenager, but he’s cut off by another voice, that’s just as angry.

            “Watch it, Smacky,” Zim growls as he walks past Pepito and confronts the bully. Smacky looks at him, completely offended. Squee and Pepito watch with surprise as Dib and Gaz stand next to them.

            “What do you want?” he snaps.

            “Keep away from Squee,” Zim warns.

            “Or what?” Smacky scoffs.

            “Need I remind you what happened last time you tried to fight him?” Dib smirks, “he played you like an action figure.”

            “That was a fluke!” Smacky barks.

            At this point plenty of people have started crowding around to see what will happen next. They’re chittering amongst themselves like squirrels.

            “Oh, yeah. I saw that,” Poonchy says, “Torque couldn’t even touch Squee.”

            “Wow,” Alex chirps, “Squee must be really strong.”

            “Alright, alright, break it up,” a teacher demands, “everyone get to class.”

            The group quickly disperses. Smacky and Zim share a quick dirty look before splitting off. Zim joins Dib, Gaz, Pepito, and Squee and they walk down the hall.

            “Squee, you should beat up Smacky again,” Gaz insists.

            “I didn’t beat him up before,” Squee reminds, “besides, I don’t fight. It’s stupid, juvenile, and most often quite unnecessary.”

            “Lame,” she groans as she splits off from the group to her locker. The older teenagers head up the stairs.

            “But you must have some fighting experience,” Zim points out, “your agility is much greater than that of a regular hyuman.”

            “Yeah, well, when you deal with what I’ve had to deal with my whole life, it’s always good to have quick feet,” Squee shrugs.

            The boys split up as they arrive at their lockers. Dib smiles as he opens his.

            “You know, Zim,” he says, “I was quite surprised when you stood up for Squee.”

            “It’s not a big deal,” Zim grunt, “Smacky annoys me.”  
            Dib just smiles, feeling quite proud of his alien boyfriend.

           

            Later in math class, Squee presses his legs tightly together. He’s really regretting drinking that BrainFreezy before Skool. And break isn’t for another forty minutes. He cannot wait that long, his gut is about to explode.

            He quickly gathers up his confidence and raises his hand. “Mr. Serene, may I please go to the restroom.”

            “Alright,” he nods, “be sure to take a hall pass.”

            Squee quickly grabs the slip off the teacher desk and leaves the room. He rushes down the hall and into the bathroom, wasting no time to reach the urinal. He sighs with relief.

            “Dramatic much,” Shmee comments.

            “You don’t have a bladder, you’re not allowed to judge,” Squee scolds.

            “Fair enough,” he shrugs.

            Squee finishes his business and starts to wash his hands. The bathroom door opens but he doesn’t give it much notice. At least not until his danger sensors start going off.

            He spins around but is immediately blocked by Smacky’s large body. The bully glares down at him. Squee stares up him and looks over at the door. His two friends are standing in front of it, covering the only exit. He’s trapped.

            “So, think you’re tough, do ya?” Smacky snarls.

            “Not really, no,” Squee replies.

            “Think you’re better than me?”

            “Um…”

            “Think you could take me in a fight?”

            “Well… are these rhetorical?”

            “Rhinoceros?” Smacky asks.

            “What?” Squee questions.

            “Oh, you think you’re smarter than me!” Smacky barks.

            “No! I don’t think anything like that,” Squee says quickly.

            “Well, that’s what everyone’s been saying.”

            “It’s just gossip. It’s not true.”

            “You’ve been pissing me off from the day you started,” Smacky snarls, “big, tough South Ender attending a North End school. You must be so much better than us.”

            “Okay, the whole ‘South End, North End’ thing is stupid,” Squee says, “and I don’t think I’m better than you. I only started going here because my friend recommended it.”

            “Well, it was a bad idea.”

            A few minutes later, Pepito is staring curiously at the empty desk beside him. Squee’s been gone a long time. A potty break shouldn’t take this long.

            He fiddles nervously with his necklace. Something might be wrong.

            “Mr. Serene,” he says as he raises his hand. “May I go to the restroom?”

            “Not until Squee comes back,” he answers.

            “It’s an emergency,” he insists. 

            “Oh, very well,” he sighs.

            Pepito smiles and rushes out of the classroom. He trots down the hall to the boy’s washroom and tries to open the door, but it doesn’t budge.

            “Locked?” he questions. He knocks. “Hello?”

            “Taken. Go somewhere else,” a voice answers.

            “That’s Smacky’s voice,” Pepito exclaims. He snarls.

              A few minutes prior, Smacky’s minions have Squee by his skinny arms and are holding him to the wall while Smacky goes through his bag.

            “Stop! Get out of there!” Squee snaps.

            “You sure have a lot of books,” Smacky observes, “freaking nerd. Is this all you carry around? This and that stupid bear.”

            “Leave my stuff alone!” Squee shouts.

            Smacky flips through the many notebooks. “Some of these are full. You must really like them to carry them around all the time.”

            “Hey, hey, Torque,” one of his friends says excitedly, “you should wreck them.”

            “Hey, yeah,” Smacky grins, “but how?” He glances around for a second before looking at the sink and a lightbulb goes off in his head. He plugs the drain with paper towel and begins to fill it with water.

            “Wuh-wait, Torque,” Squee whimpers, “don’t-don’t do this.”

            Smacky smirks as he lifts one of the notebooks over the sink. He holds it there for a minute while Squee begs him not to do it, please, please don’t do it.

            Then he lets go.

            Squee winces like he was just kicked in the stomach as the book splashes into the water. He stares at it hopelessly as it sinks to the bottom.

            “Next,” Smacky sings and grabs another book.

            This goes on for a few minutes. Smacky destroys Squee’s stories with water, and all he can do is watch. It would be more painless if he just tortured him. With each book he soaks Squee’s despair gets deeper until there’s only one left.

            It’s probably the nicest looking notebook of the bunch. It’s black leather with golden coils and a matching clasp. Squee’s eyes widen when Smacky picks it up.

            “No, Torque! No, please not that one!” he begs, “you can do anything. Just please don’t drown that one.”

            “Too late,” Smacky shrugs as he holds the book over the sink. He almost lets go but stops at a knocking at the door.

            “Hello?” a voice calls.

            “Taken. Go somewhere else,” he snaps.

            He looks back at Squee and smirks. Instead of dropping this one, he slowly lowers the book to the water. The look of growing despair on Squee’s face is delicious.

            Squee gasps when the corner touches the water. “Shmee!”

            The bear comes to life and leaps through the air, landing on Smacky’s arm. The boy doesn’t even have to time to react as he grabs the notebook and shoves him to the floor.

            “The bear’s alive!” one of his friends exclaims as they let go of Squee.

            “Let’s get out of here!” the other demands. The trio quickly unlock the door and scramble down the hall, not even noticing Pepito.

            He stares after the bullies with surprise before looking into the bathroom. Squee is sitting on the floor, Shmee and the black notebook in his hands.

He stands up and walks over to the sinks. He hesitantly reaches into the water and grabs one of his books. It’s soaked; the pages are falling apart and the writing is smeared and illegible. They’re all ruined.

He sighs miserably and sits back on the floor.

“Squee, what happened?” Pepito exclaims as he walks in. Squee doesn’t reply but Pepito already knows the answer. “Smacky destroyed your books. That bastard! I’ll kill him!”

            “Don’t, Pepito,” Squee mutters, “don’t sink to their level.”

            Pepito stares at his friend sadly. He sits next to him and hesitantly squeezes his shoulder. Squee doesn’t elicit any sort of negative response to the touch, so he just leaves his hand there.

            “Are you gonna be okay?” Pepito asks.

            “Yeah,” Squee replies, “I mean I have plenty more stories at home. I’m just glad he didn’t wreck this one.” He runs his hand down the leather book. “It’s my favourite.”

            “Well, I mean, you did sic Shmee on them,” Pepito points out.

            Squee smiles. “Yeah, that was probably a bad idea.”

            “I thought it was funny,” Pepito grins, “they ran like a couple of little babies.”

            Squee just smiles and stares at the floor. Then he sighs and stands up. Pepito does the same and they look at the mess in the sink.

            “You wanna help clean this up?” Squee asks.

            “Sure,” Pepito nods.

            Together the boys take the ruined notebooks out of the sink, wrap them in paper towels, and toss them into the garbage. It hurts Squee to throw them out but he can’t keep them now.

            The bell rings as soon as they finish. Pepito sighs, “we should probably get to class.”

            Squee doesn’t say anything. He’s just staring at the garbage can with a blank expression.

            “Squee? You okay?” Pepito asks.

            Squee’s expression quickly darkens. He shoves his leather notebook into his bag and hangs it off his shoulder as he marches out of the bathroom.

            “I can’t let him get away with this,” Squee snarls.

            “What?” Pepito questions.

            “I’m going to get him back.”

            “What happened to not sinking to his level?”

            “Oh, I won’t. I have something much better in mind,” Squee growls.

           

            “Revenge!” Dib exclaims.

            “On Smacky?” Zim questions, “sounds fun.”

            “You don’t really strike me as the ‘vengeance’ type,” Gaz comments.

            “It’s not something I usually, you know, work for,” Squee says, “but it’s not just about revenge. That’s more like the icing on the cake. I’m tired of Smacky picking on me with his Neanderthal-like tactics. I’m going to prove to him that I’m a foe to be reckoned with.”

            “Are you?” Dib asks.

            “Probably not,” Squee replies, “but I can at least fake it. Besides, I can’t just let him get away with destroying my books. I mean I have a lot more at home, but it still sucks.”

            “I understand. If someone destroyed my notes on the paranormal, I’d be pretty pissed off,” he nods.

            It’s lunchtime, but the kids aren’t in the cafeteria. They’re outside in the back field, where the loners and losers hang out during break, so they can talk about this in peace.

            “So what’s the plan? Are we going to kidnap him and torture him?” Zim asks excitedly.

            “Of course not. We’re not going to do anything violent,” Squee replies.

            “Wait. You can have vengeance with violence?” he questions.

            “Not many can pull it off,” he says, “but I refuse to sink to Smacky’s level.”

            “So what do you want to do?” Gaz asks.

            “I was thinking something along the lines of tearing at him mentally and psychologically until he breaks down like a rotting tree,” Squee replies.

            “You can do that?” Pepito asks.

            “Not sure. Honestly the success rate of this whole endeavour is probably like ten percent. Maybe less,” he warns, “so you guys don’t have to help if you don’t want to.”

            “Of course we’re gonna help,” Zim grunts like it’s so obvious.

            “Yeah. Smacky has it coming,” Dib nods.

            Squee smiles gratefully.

            “So where do we start?” Gaz asks.

            Squee rubs his chin as he considers the question. “Do any of you know where Smacky’s locker is?”

            “Yeah, I do,” Zim says, “it’s 243.”

            “How do you know that?” Pepito asks.

            “Don’t question Zim’s greatness.”

            “Okay, we’re gonna need a plastic bag, some string, and a whole lot of glitter,” Squee concludes.

            The group looks at him curiously but they don’t question. They just walk back into the Skool to begin preparations.

            Zim quickly takes the lead. Squee may be the brains of this operation, but Zim’s always the leader. He instructs Pepito to find the glitter and string in the art room and Gaz to get a plastic bag from the lunch ladies at the cafeteria. A few minutes later they all meet up at Smacky’s locker, with the items in hand.

            “I hope this is enough glitter,” Pepito says as he rests a small tub of pink glitter on the floor.

            “It’s perfect,” Squee smiles.

            “So what’s the plan?” Zim asks.

            “First we gotta get Smacky’s locker open,” Squee replies.

            “On it,” Dib booms. He grabs Smacky’s padlock and starts turning it this way and that until he’s figured out the code.

            “Impressive,” Pepito comments.

            They open the locker and are immediately assaulted by a horrid smell. They all exclaim with disgust and move away, covering their noses.

            “What the hell is that?” Gaz barks.

            “I think it’s that,” Pepito replies as he points at a moldy green thing sitting on the top shelf of the locker.

            “Is it a sandwich?” Squee asks.

            “How can it be so old? Skool only started a week ago,” Dib exclaims.

            Zim’s PAK opens and four clothes pin come out. The kids immediately grab them and pinch them on their noses.

            “This is more awkward than it looks on cartoons,” Squee comments.

            “Let’s just get this over with so we don’t have to come here again,” Gaz growls.

            “Okay, help me fill the bag with glitter,” Squee orders.

           They fill it up as much as they can and seal it shut. It’s so full it’s almost bursting at the seams, and that’s exactly what Squee wants.

            “Now comes the difficult part,” Squee mutters.

            The kids spend the rest of the lunch hour working on their little project. As soon as they finish, they close Smacky’s locker, lock it back up, and rush into a washroom. They take off the clothes pin and breathe deeply.

            “Good work, team,” Zim praises.

            “Yes. It worked out better than I thought it would,” Squee says.

            “Well we don’t know how well it worked until we actually see it happen,” Pepito points out.

            “He’s right,” Dib nods. The bell rings and he smirks. “Let’s go watch the show shall we?”

            The group smiles and exits the restroom. They mingle with the rest of the crowd as they head to the lockers, but slow down as they pass by Smacky. They look back expectantly as he unlocks his padlock and opens his locker.

            The string attached to the back of the door tightens until it’s yanked off the plastic bag inside the locker, tearing it open and causing the pink glitter to explode all over Smacky. Passersby gasp before bursting into hysterical laughter. And Smacky just stares at his locker with surprise.

            Zim and the others laugh gleefully at the sight before disappearing into the crowd. They rush down the hall and around a corner, gasping for the breath they lost from laughing too hard.

            “That was great,” Dib snickers.

            “Did you see his face?” Pepito guffaws.

            “That actually worked out way better than I thought it would,” Gaz admits.

            “Yeah,” Squee smirks, “the next few hours are gonna be so fun.”

            The kids spend the rest of the Skool day setting up elaborate but harmless traps in the areas Smacky frequents, such as his desk or the corner of the hall where he stands and says rude things to people.

            In English class, when he sits on his chair, he doesn’t notice the plastic bag full of water beneath him, which explodes all over his pants. At his hangout place, when he leans against the wall, his back a small button which actives a weak bomb in the garbage can beside him, exploding garbage all over him.

            As the day progresses, they start getting a little riskier. When Smacky goes to the restroom and locks himself in a cubical, Dib and Zim set up another trap on the door. It’s incredibly dangerous because if they get caught Smacky will tear off their heads. But that’s why they insisted on doing this instead of Squee.

            This trap is just like the one they put in his locker, but instead of glitter it’s a bag full of the cafeteria lunch special. And it is just as discussing as dealing with his locker.

            As soon as it’s set up, they rush out of the restroom and join the others in the hallway to witness their conquest.

           They hear Smacky scream and smirk when he walks out of the restroom covered in noodles, tuna, and ketchup.           

            All the bystanders burst into laughter, including Zim and the others. But as usual they’re quick to disappear so they don’t get caught.

            By the end of the day Smacky is so paranoid and terrified, he doesn’t go near anything. He doesn’t even stop at his locker. He just walks down the middle of the hallway to the front doors of the Skool.

            Squee and the others watch him from a bench. They laugh to each other and applaud their success.

            “All the traps worked. We did well,” Zim nods.

            “Yeah, it was great,” Squee smiles.

            “But is this what you wanted? Didn’t you want to prove to Smacky that you’re ‘a foe to be reckoned with’?” Gaz asks.

            “Initially, yes, but I think that was more my anger talking,” Squee replies, “this worked out better. He doesn’t know who did this to him, so he’s afraid of everyone. We don’t need credit for our actions. We know what we did.”

            The group smiles and nods agreeably. Even Zim, who practically survives on props and praise. But he supposes just getting it from his comrades is enough.

            At the final bell, the kids stand up and leave the Skool together.  They split off in different directions: Dib, Zim, and Gaz go right towards their houses, Squee goes left to Johnny’s car, and Pepito heads to the bike rack. He quickly unlocks his bike and moves away just in time for Smacky to grab his bike. They all stop and look back to watch the show.

            Smacky pulls his bike out and a bag of baking soda explodes all over his face. Everyone in the yard laughs hysterically. Smacky whimpers and quickly bikes away.

            Squee waves goodbye to his friends as he climbs into the car.

            “You look happy. Fun day at Skool?” Johnny asks.

            “Yup,” Squee smiles and nods.

            “Did you learn anything interesting?”

            “Um… just that revenge is terribly underrated.”

            Johnny looks at him curiously then smirks. “That it is.”

            He starts the car and drives down the road. “But baking soda? Seems like an odd choice. I would’ve gone with pesticide or maybe bleach.”

            “I didn’t wanna hurt him,” Squee snaps, “just freak him out a little… or a lot.”

            “Alright, I won’t question your ideas. Honestly I wouldn’t want baking soda exploding in my face either.”

            Squee laughs as they drive away. Today may have started out a bit terribly, what with Squee losing all his books, but his mood has brightened greatly since then. Besides he can easily rewrite all those stories and at least he didn’t lose his favourite notebook.

            Smacky will probably be back to normal tomorrow and pick on him again. But Squee will be able to take it. He’s got Shmee to protect him, his friends to help him out, and the memory of this day to keep his spirits up.


	12. Fanatics 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A young Johnathan struggles with the onset of insanity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for rape attempt and pedophilia. Don't worry though cause SPOILERS the guy dies.

Fragments of a Past Reality- Fears and Insanity

 

            The former Johnathan Cessation trudged through the back roads of Main Street, his ruined shoes dragging through the gravel and his blanket hanging off his shoulder.

            He was so hungry. He hadn’t had any fresh food since his first night on the streets, and that was over a week ago. Since then he had been surviving on what little he could find. And it had been very little.

            He groaned as he gripped his stomach. He had such bad hunger pangs; he felt like he could throw up. He really needed to get something to eat.

            He peeked around the corner into an alley beside a pastry shop. The garbage cans were full of bags of old donuts, breads, and other wheat products. Johnathan took a quick look around then charged forward.

            He knocked over a garbage can, teared open the bag, and started eating as much as he could, as fast as he could.

            It didn’t taste that great. It was all hard and bland, but he didn’t have time to worry about that. He was trying to ward off starvation.

            He flinched when he heard to door to the shop creak. He picked up an armful of donuts and scurried away like a scared animal. Once he was far enough, he slowed to a walk and nibbled at his dinner.

            He smacked his dry, cracked lip together as he took another bite. Pastries were a bad idea. They just made him thirstier than he already was. He took a quick look around and noticed a flower shop with an outside hose.

            He had become accustomed to drinking out of creeks, ponds, and hoses. It is pretty unhealthy but he couldn’t afford to be picky.

            He quickly finished off the rest of his food then rushed across the street to the flower shop. He ducked into the alley, took a quick look around, then turned on the hose.

            He stuck the nozzle into his mouth and swallowed as much as he could before choking. He took the nozzle away, coughed a bit, then continued drinking. He was too focused on this process to notice someone leave the flower shop and see him.

            “Hey! Stop that!” she snapped, “get out of here!”

            Johnathan winced and dropped the hose before running off.

            “Fucking street rat,” he heard her scoff as he turned the corner.

            He growled as he walked down the back alley. Where did she get off, judging him? She didn’t know his life.

            He sighed and pulled his blanket on tighter. He really needed a better way of getting sustenance. Digging through garbage is disgusting, especially for a germaphobe like Johnathan.

            He spotted something shiny on the ground and quickly picked it up. It was a quarter. He smiled and stuck it in his pocket with the rest of the change he had been accumulating. He didn’t have much, maybe about two dollars in nickels and dimes. Still it gave him hope. With enough money he would be able to buy actual food.

            Maybe he should dig around in a fountain. Hopeful yokels were always tossing coins in one, hoping for their wishes to come true. And Johnathan could use those coins way more than those saps could use their wishes.

            As he put deep consideration into this plan, he heard a woman scream. He stopped and looked around. There was nobody nearby so he was only one who heard it.

            He sighed and started walking but stopped when he heard it again. It was closer this time and sounded really distressed.

            He suddenly heard footsteps and saw a woman run past him, followed by a man. He caught up to her and forced her to the wall of a nearby building.

            Now Johnathan didn’t have a sense of justice; he never once thought of himself as a good guy, a hero, a gentlemen. In fact he had a very low opinion of himself. And if he were smart, he would have walked away from this. He was fifteen! What use could he be?

            But he didn’t walk away. Instead he walked towards them and snapped, “leave her alone!”

            The man looked at him with surprise then smirked. He was clearly hopped up on something; he kept twitching and had a very crazed look in his eye.

            “Oh, hello, little boy,” he hissed, “you’re cute. Come here!”

            He lunged forward and grabbed Johnathan by the neck. He screamed out in pain as he held him up against the wall.

             Johnathan gagged for breath as he clawed at the man’s wrist. He was never very strong, but the lack of food and water had completely sapped his energy. He had no hope of escaping this.

             “Wanna have a little fun? Don’t worry, I’m gentle with kids,” the man whispered as he ran his free hand down Johnathan’s chest.

            Something inside him snapped and he kicked the man in the chin. He shouted out and stumbled back, letting Johnathan go. He landed on his feet and slammed his bony fist into the man’s stomach in a single movement.

            “You sick fuck!” Johnathan barked as he kicked his legs, forcing him to the ground. He kept kicking him until he noticed something on the ground. It looked like a broken piece of wood, from a fence or something. Johnathan picked it up and stabbed it into the man’s stomach.       

            He screamed in pain and tried to crawl away but Johnathan didn’t let him move an inch. He ripped the wood out and stabbed him again, this time in his arm.

            He tore apart the screaming man with the wood, causing blood to splatter everywhere, until finally the screams stopped.

            Johnathan stood up and stared down at his victim. He was barely recognizable. There wasn’t one part of his body that wasn’t scratched up or dyed crimson.

            Johnathan started trembling. His weapon fell from his hands as he looked down at himself. He was completely covered in the man’s blood. He could even taste it.

            He started hyperventilating. He looked around frantically before racing down the alley, grabbing his blanket along the way. He kept running and running until he found a pond inside a park. No one was around, thankfully. He rushed to the pond and started washing the blood.

            “I did it again. I did it again,” he said over and over. He splashed water onto his shirt but it wasn’t working. The blood wasn’t coming off. He couldn’t breathe, oh god, he couldn’t breathe.

            He started heaving as he curled in on himself in a trembling ball.

            “But it felt good, didn’t it?”

            Johnathan looked around with surprise. Who said that?

            “You liked it, didn’t you? Don’t deny it.”

            He looked at his reflection in the water. That voice wasn’t real. It was in his head.

            “Tearing that rapist apart felt good. He was a sicko who didn’t deserve to live. You did a good thing.”

            “No,” Johnathan whispered, “no, killing-killing is wrong.”

            “Oh, you don’t actually believe that. You liked it.”

            “No. No, shut up,” he snapped, “you’re not real.”

            “Killing that man was a good thing. He was trying to hurt you. Just like that murderer, and everyone at that terrible school. They all deserved to die.”

            “No! You’re wrong! Killing is wrong!” Johnathan shouted.

            “You love it.”

            “Shut up!”

            “Mommy, who’s that boy talking to?”

            Johnathan turned around. Standing a few feet away was a little boy and his mother. The little boy was pointing at him.

            “Don’t look at him. Just keep walking,” the mother whispered. But despite having said, they both just kept watching as they walked away.

            Johnathan looked away. He wrapped his blanket around his shoulders and stood up. He left as quickly as he could.

           

            Johnathan stared at the tombstones before him. They read ‘Tammie Cessation’ and ‘Sheri Cessation’.

            He wasn’t sure how long he was sitting there. He arrived there at about dusk and the sun has long since set, so it must’ve been for at least a few hours.

            He hasn’t said anything. He had just been sitting in a ball in the dirt, his blanket wrapped around him.

            Finally he sat up and took a deep breath.

            “I… I did it again, Mom,” he said, his voice cracking. “I killed someone. No, I didn’t just kill. I tore him apart. I tortured him. Just like back at school. I didn’t mean to. I-I just… he was hurting this girl and-and then he tried to hurt me. He was a sicko!”

            Johnathan took another deep breath as tears priced his eyes. “I’m scared, Mom. The voices are back. Remember? You used to tell me they weren’t real. And I’m trying to believe you. I mean, other people can’t hear them. But they sure sound real to me.”

            “I don’t know what to do,” he whimpered as tears started streaming down his face. “I wish you were to help me, like you used to. I just… I’m so alone now. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

            Johnathan stayed there the rest of the night, crying into his knees before his mother and sister’s gravestones. He always had a low opinion of himself, but never before did he feel so pathetic.


	13. Fanatics 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Five people are kidnapped and tortured for the sick amusement of their captor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An old favourite of mine. Warning for torture and gore.

Game Night

 

            Scarlet’s eyes blink open. She blinks a couple times until she realizes all she sees is black.

            She tries to scream but realizes there’s a gag in her mouth. She’s in a chair with her wrists tied to the arms and her ankles tied to the legs. She tries thrashing around but her restraints don’t even loosen.

            She hears some noises beside her and she quiets down for a second. It sounds like there are more people beside her, squealing and panting. Where the fuck is she?  
            The bag is suddenly yanked off her head. Her eyes snap shut at the bright lights. She blinks them open slowly and looks around.

            She’s in a long, wide hallway with white walls and ceiling and a strange brown floor. Beside her are four more people, three men and a girl. They’re all tied to their chairs like her.     

            Standing in front of them is a tall, lanky man with short, messy black hair and dark eyes. A huge smirk splits across his face as he examines his latest victims. The expression of fear and surprise on their faces makes his sadistic blood boil.

            “Greetings, players,” he purrs, “I am Johnny.”                    

            All five of the victims start whimpering and squealing. Johnny steps back to listen for a second. Then he slams his foot on the floor and they immediately shut up.

            “Okay. I’m gonna remove your gags,” he warns, “but please don’t scream. Not that it matters; no one can hear you anyway.”

            He pulls out all of their gags. They whimper and cry silently.

            “Who-who are you?” Scarlet asks.

            “I told you, I’m Johnny,” he replies, “I know all of you. Scarlet, Lucas, Jaxxon, Hunter, and London.”

            “Are-are you gon-gonna kill us?” Jaxxon whimpers.

            “Maybe. We’ll see how it goes,” he shrugs.

            “Why are we-we here?” London asks.

            “For a special reason. You see,” he explains, “this world is full of scum; scum that would be better off dead. And you are all examples.”

            “Let me start with you two: Scarlet and Jaxxon.” They both flinch under his glare. “Scarlet is the head cheerleader at a prestigious private school on the North End. Jaxxon is an all-around jock, captain of every sports team at his college.”

            “Now, I hate cheerleaders and jocks to begin with. But you two are especially vile. You take bullying to a whole new level.”

            He leans in close to both of them, his dark eyes boring a hole into their faces. “Have you any idea how many innocent teens committed suicide because of your heartless antics? How much blood you truly got on your hands?”

            “Please,” Scarlet begs, tears rushing down her face. “I didn’t mean it. I was just playing. I promise I’ll be a better person if you just let me go.”

            “It’s too late for promises, Scarlet,” Johnny scoffs then looks away. “Moving on. Lucas here is a drug dealer. Normally drug dealers don’t bother me. But you’re special. You’re very territorial. But I can respect that; I’m territorial too.”

            “My problem with you is that to avoid getting caught by the police, you planted your drugs on innocent people, so they’d get arrested,” he explains, “innocent people suffered because of you. That’s why you’re here.”

            “How-how did you know that?” Lucas asks.

            “I know all kinds of things,” Johnny replies, “like London for example. She is a dirty cop. She doesn’t just accept bribes, she suggests it. It’s because of people like her that people like Lucas remain free. It’s people like her, with no morals, that make me sick.”

          “People like me? What about you?” London barks, “you have no morals! You kidnapped us!”

            “I know,” Johnny says, “my statement still stands.”

            “Last but not least we have Hunter,” he continues, “now I’m gonna be honest, I have a bit of a personal vendetta against Hunter.”

            “See, Hunter is a child molester. He’s never been caught before because he’s very careful. He always wears gloves and his face is always covered by his mop of hair. Plus his poor victims are too flustered to describe him properly.”

            “But I saw him at the South Mall a couple days ago,” Johnny snarls, his anger starting to slowly take over. “I was shopping with my kid. I stepped away for a couple minutes and you decided to just swoop in and try to take him. But I got there just in time and managed to get a glimpse of your face. And a glimpse is all I need.”

            “Please,” Hunter whimpers, “I-I didn’t know. If-if-if I had known he was yours I wouldn’t have-.”

            “Wouldn’t have what? Tried to take him?” Johnny shouts, his anger letting loose. “Then you would’ve just gone after some other kid, right? And what if he wasn’t mine? Then you would’ve stolen him anyway!”

            “This isn’t about what you did to who, when, and why,” he snaps, “this is because you did it. And because this world would be so much better without you.”

            “Well, what about you?” London retorts, “you kidnapped us and you’re probably gonna kill us. You’re just as bad.”

            “Yes, it’s true,” Johnny nods, “I am a terrible person. I have done horrible, unspeakable things to countless people. And I used to think about suicide in the past. But I’ve got more important things to worry about now.”

            He takes a deep breath and runs his gloved fingers through his hair. “But I digress. As I said, I have done horrible things to people, most of them scum like yourself. But there’s only so many ways to torture a person. So I decided to spice things up.”

            “You five are the players, I am the game master, and this is Game Night.”

            “I have lined up seven children games. I’m sure you’ve all played at least one of them in your lifetime,” Johnny explains as he walks to the far side of the hall, his voice bouncing off the walls. “I have modified them with my own little… flares. Whoever manages to survive them all is free to go and I will never bother them again.”

            “It’s possible that you all survive them,” he adds as he sits on a wheelie chair. “However it’s just as possible that none of you survive.”

            “You must see each game through and follow all the rules.” He draws a large knife with a cloth wrapped handle and a neutral smiley face guard. “If you don’t, I will punish you.” He runs his finger down the sharp blade and smirks.

            “We’re gonna start out easy: an obstacle course. All you have to do is run from where you’re sitting to the end of the hall. You have to dodge all the obstacles and you have to make it here before time runs out. So it doesn’t really matter who makes it first or last. Your real opponent is time.”

            “Everyone understand?” Johnny asks. The players whimper and nod weakly.

            “Good,” he chirps and grabs a remote control from his jeans pocket. He hits a button and the restraints on the victims’ limbs release. They all stand up and rub their sore wrists.

            Johnny hits another button and the obstacles suddenly appear. Rows of large stakes poke out of the floor, huge saw-like blades pop out of the walls, and finally a giant guillotine swings from the ceiling.

            “Oh, god,” Scarlet whimpers.

            “On your mark.” Johnny pulls a watch out of his pocket, his thumb hovering over a button. “Get set.” The players crouch down in a ready position. None of them fully comprehend what’s going on, but they can’t let that slow them down.

            “Go!” Johnny slams his finger on the button, starting the countdown. The players immediately begin running.

            They jump over the stake hurdles, the blades only inches away from their crotches. But the rows get taller and taller. Scarlet, London, and Jaxxon manage to pull it off because they’re athletic. But Hunter and Lucas lag behind because they don’t want to risk getting cut. They still end up with scratches on their thighs.

            They make it past the stake hurdles and onto the saws. The blades pop in and out of the walls at high speeds. The players have to be quick on their feet to make the sharp turns. Again Scarlet, London, and Jaxxon make it through quickly and unscathed. But Hunter and Lucas are much slower. They manage to escape with most of their skin intact though.

            The group stops at the guillotine. It swings back and forth in front of them, huge, intimidating, and sharp enough to slice through them like butter.

            “Only sixty seconds left, players,” Johnny warns.

            Scarlet is the first to steel her nerves. She holds her breath and dashes down the hall. Due to perfect timing, she makes it past the guillotine without incident. London and Jaxxon are right behind her, blade narrowly missing London’s hair.

            Hunter and Lucas are frozen still, shivering like wet puppies. Finally they take a deep breath and make a break for it. They barely make it past the blade and both flinch when they feel it slice through the air behind him. But they don’t stop running until they catch up with the others at Johnny’s feet.

            Johnny hits the button on his watch and smirks. “Well done. See, I told you it was easy. You all made it alive and with your limbs intact. Now, moving on to game two.”

            He spins around in his chair and kicks the wall behind him, opening a hidden door. He rolls into the next room. The players lumber close behind.

            “Stand behind the line,” Johnny demands as he rolls down the hall. Just like last time, this room is incredibly long. He stops at the end of the hall and faces them.

            “The next game is Red Light, Green Light,” he announces, his coarse voice bouncing off the walls. “It is timed but that’s mostly just a safety precaution. You don’t need to rush; I just don’t have all the time in the world to spend on you people.”

            “Now, how to play. It’s pretty basic: when I say green light, you can move. When I say red light, you must stay still until I say green light. If you fail, I will cut off one of your minor limbs: you ears, your fingers, etc.”

            The players all shudder.

            “And to make things even more interesting,” Johnny adds, “the whole hall is rigged with booby traps.”         

            “Just like last time, it’s possible for you all to pass. It’s not about who makes it first or last; it’s about who can make it at all.”

            “Okay, go!” Johnny spins around in his chair as he presses a button on his watch. “Green light.”

            The players immediately start moving. They go quickly and steadily, hoping to cover as much ground as possible.

            Johnny suddenly spins around and faces them. “Red light.”

            The players freeze. They even hold their breath.

            Johnny scans each of them for a few seconds before spinning back around. “Green light.”

            They start moving, taking wide strides. As London brings her foot down, she half hears a slight click.

            Johnny spins around and shouts, “red light.” Just as the players stop, a huge knife flies out of the wall and imbeds itself in London’s right shoulder. She screams in pain and falls to her knees.

            “London moved!” Johnny exclaims with delight as he jumps out of the chair. “Time for punishment.”

            “Whuh-what? But I-I was just-,” she stammers.

            “I told you there were booby traps,” he points out as he strides down the hall. “You should’ve been more careful.”

            The other four players watch helplessly as Johnny kneels in front of London, wiggling his knife around. “Now, what should I cut off?”

            “You… motherfucker,” she pants, “I’m… al-already hurt. Doesn’t this… count as… punishment?”

            “Of course not,” Nny scoffs like it’s so obvious. “You broke the rules by moving during red light. The knife in your shoulder is just… an added variable.”

            “You fucking, sick, twisted, mother-.” Her jeers are cut short when Johnny rests the blade of his knife behind her ear. She whimpers as he gently runs it along her jaw. She starts to relax when he pulls away.

            Suddenly, and in one fluid motion, he slices her right ear clean off. London’s screams bounce off the walls as she grips her new hole. She falls onto the floor and flails like a fish as blood gushes out.

            “Okay, continue,” Johnny announces as he strides back to the other side of the room. “Green light.”

            The other four players start moving quickly, ignoring their nausea and London’s screams.

            She doesn’t allow her missing ear or the hole in her shoulder to slow her down. She forces herself to her feet and hobbles after the others.

            Johnny collapses on his chair and faces them. “Red light.”

            The players immediately stop. London is doubled over and panting. She does her very best not to fall over.

            “Green light,” Johnny sings as he turns back around. The players begin moving again.

            Lucas brings his foot down and barely notices the click. A blade suddenly pops out of the floor, going straight through his foot, before going back into the floor.

Just as Lucas is ready to scream, Johnny spins around and shouts, “red light.”

Lucas bites his tongue and stands stock still. He squeezes his eyes shut and focuses on breathing as tears trickle down his cheeks.

            Johnny’s eyes linger just a bit longer on Lucas before he turns back around. “Green light.”

            Lucas takes a deep breath and begins moving with the rest of the group. He limps horrible, not wanting to put too much pressure on his left foot.

            The game continues for a few more minutes. All the players hit a booby trap at least once. Scarlet gets stabbed in the shin, Hunter in the hip, and Jaxxon in the shoulder. But none of them lose their minor limbs to Johnny. They stand strong during red light and move steadily during green light.

            As they start to near the end of the game, London hits another trap. She was already lagging behind the other players and feeling faint from blood loss. So when a knife buries itself into her stomach and she collapses just as Johnny says, “red light,” she snaps.

            “You motherfucker! You better stay away from me with that fucking knife! I’m a cop you know! You’ll die for this! You’ll fucking die!”

            Johnny seems completely unaffected by her mouthing off as he strides over, knife in hand. He lifts his foot and brings it onto her forehead, pinning her to the floor.

            “How about we cut off that busy tongue?” he hisses as her grabs her chin with his free hand and holds her mouth open.

            She shakes off his hand and starts shouting multiple profanities. Johnny removes his foot from her head and straddles her chest. He jabs his hand into her mouth, grips her tongue, and slices through it like butter.

            London shrieks endlessly, blood gushing out of her mouth. Johnny stands up, tossing the severed tongue across the hall.

            “Green light,” he shouts above the screams as he walks back to his chair. He takes off his gloves and replaces them with a similar pair from a pouch on his chair.

            Scarlet, Jaxxon, Lucas, and Hunter start moving. All London can do is thrash around like a fish out of water.

            The four players make it to Johnny without incident. They all collapse as his feet and he smiles cheerfully.

            “Well done,” he chimes then looks at the thrashing London. “I think it’s safe to say she won’t be moving on to the next stage.” He spins his chair and kicks the wall, opening another hidden door. “Go on to the next room. I’ll join you in a minute.”

            The players quickly rush into the next room while Johnny stands up and walks towards London, twirling his knife around.

            Scarlet closes the door behind them and they collapse on the floor.

            “This… this is fucking crazy,” Jaxxon pants.

            “We’re all gonna die,” Lucas moans.

            “We can escape,” Scarlet points out frantically. “The doors are always hidden on the far side of the room. We can get away.”

            “He’ll find us,” Hunter argues, “he’ll find us and kill us.”

            The door suddenly opens and Johnny wheels in. The players quickly scamper out of his way as he rolls to the far side of the room.

            The room is a lot smaller than the last two. It’s mostly just a square with a line in the middle. Johnny stops on the other side of the line, resting with his leg swung over the arm rest.

            “One down, four to go,” he booms, a big grin on his face. “We’re going to be playing a variation of the game ‘Simon Says’. The difference is that it’s ‘Nny Says.’ And if you don’t do what Nny says he- I will take one of your minor limbs, just like last time.”

            “Oh, god. What’s he gonna make us do?” Lucas moans.

            “Let’s begin,” Johnny smirks. “We’ll start out easy. Nny says stand on one foot.”

            The four players immediately do as he says, doing their best to stay balanced.

            “Nny says hop up and down.”

            They start hopping in place, still on one foot.

            Johnny smirks, “stop.”

            They all almost stop but quickly catch themselves and continue jumping.

            “Ho ho, almost got you there,” Johnny laughs, “no but seriously, Nny says stop.”

            They all stop jumping and stand back on two feet.

            The change in atmosphere is completely noticeable. It’s like the air around them suddenly got heavier. And the source of it is the creepy grin plastered on Nny’s face.

            “Hunter,” he chimes, “Nny says punch Lucas in the face.”

            “What?” both men exclaim.

            “Lucas,” Johnny sings, “Nny says don’t move.”

            Hunter faces Lucas, his fist clenched. Lucas glares at him dangerously. But that glare is nothing compared to Johnny’s smirk.

            Hunter pulls back and punches Lucas right in the mouth. Johnny bursts into laughter when the drug dealer hits the ground.

            “Well done, Hunter,” he chimes, “and don’t worry, Lucas, I won’t punish you for falling like that.”

            Lucas glares at him as he stands up. Johnny just grins.

            “Moving on. Jaxxon, Nny says stick out your hand.” Jaxxon does so, his palm pointing to the ceiling. “Yup, just like that. Now, Scarlet.”

            Johnny reaches into the pouch on his chair and takes out a large steak knife. He slides it across the floor and it stops by Scarlet’s feet.

            “Nny says cut open Jaxxon’s palm.”

            “What?” they squeal.

            “Go on,” Johnny purrs, “do as Nny says.”

            Scarlet picks up the knife, her hands trembling. Jaxxon glares death into her forehead but she ignores him as she places the blade on his hand.

            She squeezes her eyes shut and pulls it, slicing open his palm. Jaxxon shouts in pain and clutches his bleeding hand to his chest.

            Johnny laughs. “Now, Jaxxon, hit Scarlet.”

            Jaxxon clenches his uninjured fist and swings at Scarlet. She tries to dodge but she’s too slow and he hits her in the cheek.

            But as soon as he connects, he realizes his mistake.

            “Uh oh,” Johnny sighs sadly, but the humour is audible in his voice. “I don’t say Nny says. Time for punishment.”

            “No, no. Wait! I-I didn’t mean,” Jaxxon stammers nervously. He tries to scramble away but Johnny is in front of him in a matter of seconds. He grabs the front of the jock’s shirt and holds him tight.

            “Scarlet,” he chimes, “since you’re the one Jaxxon hit, you can choose what I cut off.”

            Scarlet winces and stares at the squirming Jaxxon.

            “You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Nny shrugs.

            “His fingers,” she states as she rubs her swollen cheek.

            “Excellent choice,” he purrs as he grabs Jaxxon’s right hand, the same one Scarlet cut. Jaxxon tries to pull away but Johnny has an iron grip. He squeezes his knife and slices through his fore, middle, and ring finger in one fluid motion.

            Jaxxon wails and falls to his knees as he clutches his ruined hand to his chest. Johnny tosses the severed fingers across the room with disgust and sits back on his chair.

            “Let’s continue,” he grunts, “Scarlet, pass me my knife please.”

            Scarlet kneads the knife uncertainly, not sure what to do.

            “Nah, I’m just fucking with you,” Johnny laughs, “Nny says pass me the knife.”

            She grips the knife tightly and whips it across the room, right at Johnny. He catches it with ease and drops it into the chair’s pouch.

            “Thank you,” he hums, “now then. Lucas, Nny says tear out Hunter’s hair.”

            “What? No!” Hunter cries, covering his mess of brown hair with his hands.

            “Hunter, Nny says don’t move,” Johnny warns.

            “How-how much?” Lucas asks.

            “Just like a handful,” he replies.

            Lucas grips a handful of Hunter’s hair. Per Johnny’s demand, he doesn’t move. He just squeezes his eyes shut and hopes it doesn’t hurt too bad.

            Lucas yanks and rips out a handful of hair. Hunter shouts in pain and falls to his knees, clutching his scalp. Johnny sticks out his tongue in disgust as Lucas shakes away the loose hair.

            “Hunter, Nny says trip Scarlet,” Johnny commands, getting right to business.

            Hunter grabs Scarlet’s leg and pulls, causing her to fall onto her back.

            “Scarlet, Nny says punch Jaxxon.”

            Scarlet sits up and punches Jaxxon in the ribs.

            “Jaxxon, Nny says poke Lucas in the eye.”

            Jaxxon stands up on shaky feet and jabs Lucas’ right eye with his finger.

            Pretty soon the players have a rhythm going on. A violent rhythm orchestrated by Game Master Johnny. They cut, punch, kick, trip, and jab each other per his instructions. And they’re always careful to listen, making sure they hear ‘Nny says’ before doing anything. None of them slip up.

            That’s why Johnny decides to get a little tricky.

            “Scarlet,” he purrs, his smirk getting even more sinister, if that’s possible. “Nny says rips out your earring.”

            “What?” she cries, covering her ears.

            “You can choose which one,” he adds, “but if you don’t then I’ll just cut an ear off. So either way you lose a piercing.”

            Scarlet whimpers as she gently pinches the hoop on her left earlobe. She glances at Johnny. He watches her with cold, calculating eyes that are a complete contrast to his giant smirk.

            She holds her breath and starts tugging. It doesn’t come out right away. It takes a few pulls before she successfully rips it through her earlobe.

            She cries out in pain and falls to her knees, sobbing quietly as she holds her bleeding ear.

            Johnny grunts approvingly and looks at the trembling men. They all wince under his glare.

            Johnny reaches into his chair’s pouch and pulls out the steak knife. He tosses it across the floor and it stops at Lucas’ feet.

            “Lucas, Nny says slice your forearm.”

            Lucas looks at him with surprise. Then he slowly and hesitantly picks up the knife. He grips the handle and slices through the flesh. He shouts in pain, dropping the knife as he falls to his knees, clutching his bleeding arm to his chest.

            “Hunter,” Johnny chimes and the pedophile whimpers. “Nny says stab your foot.”

            Hunter hesitantly bends down and picks up the knife. He positions the blade over his left foot.

            His arms suddenly feel incredibly heavy. He doesn’t want to do this. But if he doesn’t, he’ll probably lose his foot. So with a roar he drives the blade into his foot.

            It doesn’t go all the way through, barely even halfway. But he stabbed himself and Johnny is satisfied.

            Hunter quickly pulls the blade out and falls onto his ass, panting and cringing in pain.

            “Jaxxon,” Johnny purrs, “Nny says cut your stomach.”

            “Whuh-what?” Jaxxon exclaims, “I already lost three of my fingers. What more do you want from me?”

            “Just to cut yourself,” Nny shrugs, “I used to do it all the time.”

            Jaxxon’s entire body is trembling. He picks up the knife and lifts up his shirt. He slowly brings the blade closer to his skin then abruptly stops.

            “No!” he shrieks, “I won’t do it! You can’t make me! This is all wrong! You can’t just control us like this! We’re human beings!”

            “Ha!” Johnny snorts, “human beings? Don’t flatter yourself. You’re all nothing more than monsters in human skin. Pathetic, rotten scum that make this world the terrible place it is.”       

            “You’re just as bad as the rest of us,” Scarlet mutters.

            “Yeah, I am. I’m a monster too,” Johnny nods, “but I’m not the reason little kids are scared to look under their beds. You fucks are the so-called ‘boogey man’. You destroy innocent people’s lives for stupid, selfish reasons. If there’s even the slightest bit of sunshine, you bastards black it out.”

            “Suh-so do you,” Lucas grunts, “you’re a fucking murderer. You’re just like us.”

            “You were not listening!” Johnny barks as he jumps to his feet. “I am a monster. But I’m your monster. I’m your goddamn boogey man.”   

            A slight beep sounds from his jeans pocket. He pulls out his watch and looks at the time.

            “We’re out of time for this game,” he grunts, “Jaxxon didn’t do as Nny says, so he lost. The rest of you, go to the next room.”

            “Fuck you!” Jaxxon shouts, “I’m not letting you kill me!” He lifts the steak knife as Johnny strides over to him.

            Scarlet, Hunter, and Lucas quickly scramble by. Scarlet pushes on the hidden door and they fall into the next room.

            “This is fucking crazy,” Lucas pants, “we have to get out of here.”

            “He’s right, you know,” Scarlet mutters, “we are terrible. When I get out of here, I promise I’ll change my ways.”

            “Oh, look at you, having an epiphany,” Hunter scoffs, “well, forget it, bitch. I’ll be the one getting out.”

            “You’re the worst one here,” she snaps, “you don’t deserve to get out, you fucking pedophile.”

            “You drove kids to suicide!” he points out.

            “Better than fucking them,” Lucas retorts.

            “Don’t knock it until you try it,” Hunter smirks.

            “You’re disgusting!” Scarlet barks.

            They argue amongst themselves, not even noticing when Johnny rolls in. He watches them for a few seconds before smirking and wheeling by.

            “Alright, alright. Calm down, players,” he coos as he stops by a round table holding two bowls and a variety of weapons. “You’ll have plenty of chances to kill each other in our next game. Now gather around.”

            The players stand around the table, away from Johnny.

            “We’ll be playing Would You Rather,” he announces, “pretty standard. This bowl holds your IDs. This one holds a series of ‘Would You Rather’ questions. I ask the question to whose ever name I pull out. And you have to follow through on your answer. Understood?”

            The players all glare at each other, ready to rip each other’s throats out.

            “Let’s begin.”

            He digs around in the first bowl and pulls out an ID card. Then he digs around in the second bowl and pulls out a slip of paper.

            “Lucas, would you rather stab your own hand or have Scarlet do it for you?”

            Scarlet can’t help but smirk at the idea.

            “There’s no way I’d let that bitch touch me!” Lucas snaps as he grabs the knife. “I’d rather do it myself!”

            He brings the knife down on his hand, right in the middle. It doesn’t go all the way through, but blood still gushes out like a waterfall. He shouts in pain as he tears it out and drops it on the table.

            “Alright then. Moving on,” Johnny grunts.

            He picks the victim and the question.

            “Scarlet, would you rather get hit in the stomach with a bat by Hunter or Lucas?”

            “What kind of question is that?” she snaps. Nny just shrugs. She groans and looks at the boys. “What if I choose neither?”

            “Then I’ll cut off your nose,” he replies.

            “Ugh,” she whimpers, “I guess Lucas then.”

            Lucas immediately grabs the bat off the table and slams it into her stomach. She shouts in pain and falls to her knees, curled in on herself. Johnny wastes no time picking another question.

            “Hunter, would you rather stab yourself in the shin or get stabbed by Lucas?”

            “I’ll stab myself,” he snaps as he grabs a knife and immediately sticks it in his right shin.

            The game progresses steadily. The players hate each other so much, they never hesitate to hurt each other or themselves, depending on the question. The only time they slow down is when the question involves being hurt by one of the others, like Scarlet’s first question. It’s just such a hard choice.

            “Alright, players,” Johnny booms, “we have ten minutes left in the game so I’m gonna mix things up.”

            He hops out of his chair, shuffling the ID cards around as he circles the table. He stops shuffling and looks at the card on the top of the pile.

            “Scarlet, would you rather lose your thumb or get stabbed in the stomach?” he asks.

            “What?” she exclaims.

            “Keep in mind that I will be doing this.”

            “Uh-um, st-stomach.”

            He wastes no time in stabbing her in her stomach. She gags and falls to her knees.

            “Hunter, would you rather lose your right ear or left ear?”  
            “That’s not a choice!” he exclaims.

            “If you don’t choose then you’ll lose both,” Johnny says.

            “Er, uh, um, right!”

            He screams as Johnny slices through his ear, cutting it right off.

            “Lucas, would you rather get your right knee cut or your left elbow?”

            “Uh um, elbow.”

            Johnny slices open his left elbow. He groans and grips it tightly.

            After a few minutes, the three players are all covered in quite a few injuries. They’re tired and hurting but Lucas is the worst. He’s not holding up too well. He can barely stay on his feet.

            “Okay, we’ve got time for one more question,” Johnny announces. “Lucas, would you rather I slice open your ankle tendons or your wrists?”

            “You… fuck,” Lucas pants, “that… could kill… me.”

            “I think we all know you’re already dead,” Johnny states, “in the state you’re in, you’ll never make it to the next round. So how would you rather go out?”

            “I’ll take… you out… with me,” Lucas growls.

            “Jeez, you’re dramatic. You can barely stand up,” he scoffs.

            Lucas grabs a knife off the table and tries to stand, but his legs quickly give out beneath him. Johnny just watches him with boredom.

            “So you’re not gonna answer the question?” he asks.

            “Fuck… you,” Lucas snarls.

            Johnny shrugs and cuts his nose off. Lucas screams and falls to the floor, gripping his face.

            “Hunter, Scarlet, you two can go over to the next round,” Johnny says, “I’ll be right with you.”

            They stumble past Johnny and to the end of the room. They push through the door and collapse on the floor, panting heavily.

            “We’re not gonna make it,” Hunter growls, “he’ll kill us.”

            Scarlet can’t even say anything. She’s just too tired.

            Johnny walks through the door, wiping his knife down with a disinfectant wipe. He seems to be in a hurry. “Unfortunately we don’t have time for the next game. I lost track of time. I didn’t realize it was already morning.”

            “Anyway,” he says quickly, “we’re gonna have to pause the game. So if you’ll follow me, I’ll show you to your rooms. And be quick about it.”

            Scarlet and Hunter stand on shaky legs and follow Johnny out of the room. They walk through random rooms for a few minutes before they arrive to a dark hallway with doors along the walls. Johnny opens two and motions for Hunter and Scarlet to go in.

            “Rest here and I’ll be back in a few hours,” he says, “I wouldn’t recommend escaping though. First of all, you’ll never make it. Second of all, the game is paused. If you try to un-pause the game without my permission, you will be punished.”

            “Later, players,” Johnny waves before jogging down the hall. Scarlet and Hunter go into their rooms and collapse on the floor. They take deep breaths and close their eyes.

            Scarlet almost falls asleep but wakes up when she hears footsteps. She stands up and peeks around the corner. Hunter is leaving his room and trudging down the hall.

            “What are you doing?” she hisses.

            “What do you think? Getting the hell out of here,” he snaps.

            “Are you crazy? You’ll never make it,” she points out.

            “What’s with the change of attitude? I thought you wanted to escape.”

            “I do, but…”

            “Well, do what you want,” Hunter snaps, “but we’ve been given this chance and I’m taking it.”

            Scarlet stares after him as he walks down the hall. She whimpers before chasing after him. “Wait for me.”

            They rush through the seemingly endless hallways, climb up stairs and ladders, and move as quickly as they can. They have no idea where they’re going but they don’t let that slow them down. They gotta get out of here.

            After what seems like hours, they find a ladder that leads to a seemingly normal door. As they climb the ladder, the sound of rain and voices grows louder. They stop at the door and crack it open a tiny bit.

            “Skool’s closed,” a younger boy says, “it’s raining too much.”

            “I’d say so.” They wince at Johnny’s voice. “The streets are like a swimming pool.”

            “I’m going back to bed,” the boy announces.

            “Okey dokes,” Johnny grunts, “see you in a bit.”

            Scarlet scrambles back, shoving Hunter away. They quickly back away and climb down the ladder. They argue silently when they hit the floor. Hunter thinks they could take him by surprise, knock him out or something. Scarlet wants to hide.

            After a few seconds they get tired of each other. Scarlet looks around quickly and notices a small hallway in the wall. It’s so dark that they didn’t notice it before. She rushes over and ducks into the shadows just as the door opens.

            Hunter spins around and whimpers. Johnny exits the house and hops off the ledge, landing only a few feet from Hunter.

            “Well, well, look what we have here,” he grunts, “a little mouse escaping his cell. You understand I gotta punish you now, right?”

            “No, no, you-you can’t,” Hunter whimpers.

            “I told you if you tried to un-pause the game, you would be punished,” he points out as he moves closer to him. Hunter backs away slowly.

            “This-this is a bonus level!” he exclaims.

            “Bonus level?” Johnny scoffs, “don’t be stupid. Life doesn’t have bonus levels.”

            Hunter snaps. He stops trembling and squares his shoulders as he tries to look intimidating. Johnny just cocks his eyebrow.

            “Go ahead! You don’t scare me! You’re just as bad as me!” Hunter snaps. Johnny rolls his eyes. He’s not fazed by his words.

           “You know what?” he growls, “I’m gonna get out of here. You can’t stop me. And when I do, I won’t change. Your stupid lessons won’t change me. Kids are great! They’re cute and innocent! You haven’t lived until you’ve torn that innocence apart!”

            “Like your kid,” he smirks, “I bet he’d be lots of fun. I would tear-.”

            He stops when he gets one look at Johnny’s eyes. They’ve changed so drastically in a matter of seconds. The pupils are so constricted, they’re practically invisible. It’s like looking into the eyes of a beast.

            His hand lashes out and grips Hunter’s neck. His sharp fingers break the skin, causing blood to spill out to the floor. Hunter can barely gag as he’s tossed down the hall like a doll. He rolls across floor and lands on his stomach. He doesn’t even have time to breathe before Johnny slams his foot on his back.

            Johnny grabs his hair and lifts his head, keeping his foot pressed in the middle of his spine. He grabs his knife and presses the blade to Hunter’s scalp.

            “Your hair pisses me off,” he mutters as he slices through the skin. His screams of pain bounce off the wall.

            Meanwhile, Scarlet races down the mysterious hall. It’s not very long and doesn’t take her much time to reach the end.

            She gasps when she hears Hunter screaming behind her. She looks around frantically. This can’t be a dead end. Please.

            She feels along the walls for any sort of door. As she runs her hand along the ceiling, she notices it feel loose, like a loose panel or something. She pushes on it, but it feels stuck.

            She summons all of her strength and jumps, shoving it open. She pulls herself through the opening and looks around. It looks like she’s in the basement of a house or something. It’s mostly empty except for some random boxes.

            Scarlet quickly closes the hidden door and dashes up the stairs. She can hear heavy rain. She must be back on the surface.

            She ends up in an empty living room. She quickly spots the front door and races through it. She’s immediately bombarded with large raindrops. She smiles with relief and immediately starts running.

            Her feet splash through the deep puddles. It’s so cold and it really stings her injuries, but it feels so good because she’s free. She’s free!

            But it’s not over. Not yet.

            She keeps running until she spots a payphone. She digs around in her pockets and finds some change. She sighs with relief and sticks it in the machine. She dials 911 and holds the receiver to her ear.

            “This is 911. What is your emergency?”

            “Please, help me!” Scarlet cries, “I was kidnapped and tortured. He killed so many people. You have to help!”

            “Please, relax, ma’am. Where are you? Who is this person?”

            “I’m near Grave Road on the South End and-.” They hang up. “Hello? Hello!”

            Scarlet starts hyperventilating as she tries dialing again but it doesn’t work. She needs to put in more money. But she doesn’t have anymore.

            “No! Why’d they hang up?” she screams.

            “The police don’t come near Grave Road anymore.” She freezes at the sound of the voice. “They haven’t for a long time. It’s really corrupt, but you can’t really blame them. A lot of fucked up shit happens there.”

            She turns around slowly and screams when she sees Johnny standing right behind her, holding an umbrella.

            She turns to run but she doesn’t even make it two feet away before Johnny smacks her in the back of the head with it.

 

            Scarlet’s eyes blink open. She groans from the pain in her head. It takes her a minute to register what’s going on. She’s being dragged across a stone floor, leaving a trail of blood behind.

            She tries to scream but the second she opens her mouth, the grip on her ankle tightens to a bone-snapping degree, shutting her up.

            “Oh, good, you’re awake,” Johnny says.

            She whimpers but doesn’t try to fight back. She just lets him drag her across the floor. She has no hope now. She can’t escape him.

           He takes her to a metal door with a strange lock on it. He opens it and tosses her into the cell.

            “You know,” Johnny grunts as he leans against the door frame. “I really would’ve let you go if you just followed the rules and won the game. Really, I would have. But you just had to cheat. Now you’re gonna be here forever. But don’t worry. You’ll have lots of fun with your new roommate, I’m sure.”

            Scarlet sits up and looks around. Hunter is lying beside her, his hair completely gone and his head nothing but a red, slimy dome.

            She screams a scream of fear and despair as Johnny closes the door, shutting them in absolute darkness.


	14. Fanatics 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kids have a mandatory parent/teacher night at Skool. It goes even worse than one might expect.

Parent/Teacher Night

 

            The class barely pays attention as Miss Sweeties goes on about some English concepts. Most are playing on their phones or just zoning out. They’re all relieved when the final bell rings, signalling the end of Skool.

            “Oh, and remember, class,” Miss Sweeties says as everyone starts filing out. “Parent/teacher night is tonight and all parents and guardians must attend. It is mandatory this year.”

            Squee stops in his tracks, his blood running cold in his veins. “Mandatory? Oh no.”

           

            “Mandatory!” Johnny snaps, “what kind of bureaucratic bullshit is that?”

            “Well, because we’re all in ninth grade and making the transition into high school, the Skool board thought it’d be good if parents and guardians were kept up to date on exactly what is going on with their kids,” Squee explains.

            “Fuck sakes,” he groans and rubs the bridge of his nose.

            “You’ll come right?” Squee asks.

            “Well, I kind of have to, don’t I?” Johnny snaps.

            Devi and Tenna laugh from their spots on the couch.

            “I wish I could go to this thing just to watch Johnny fail at being an actual guardian,” Tenna snickers wickedly.

            “You two need to get a fucking hobby,” Johnny groans.

            “But she’s got a point,” Devi says, “you’re only a guardian by name. Everything else is basically an illusion. All of those parents and teachers are going to be judging you. Maybe we should dress you up and make you look like you’ve actually got your act together.”

            “No,” Squee snaps, “I don’t care what they think. Johnny’s a great guardian and I’m not going to force him to change for some pointless meeting.”

            Johnny stares down at the kid with a mixture or surprise and elation in his chest. He sighs and scratches his neck. “When’s the meeting?”

            “In about an hour,” Squee replies.

            “Alright. Let me go change and then we’ll leave,” Johnny grunts before walking down the hall to his room.

            A few minutes later he comes back into the living in a pair of nice sneakers, jeans, a black shirt with a barcode icon, and his trench coat.

            “Alright, let’s go,” he demands as he heads for the door.

            “Hold it,” Squee orders. Johnny looks at him curiously. “No weapons.”

            Johnny glares at him for a second before groaning and heading back to his room. This time he comes back with a plain, black sweater instead of his coat.

            “We good now?” he asks.

            “I don’t know. Are we?” Squee shoots back.

            They stare at each other for a second before Johnny groans again and takes a couple of switchblades and butterfly knives out of his pockets, dropping them on the coffee table.

            “There. Now we’re good,” he insists.

            “Kay,” Squee smiles and they head for the door.

            Johnny looks back at the giggling girls on his couch. “You two had better not be here when I get back.”

            They just laugh as he slams the door.

            About an hour later, Johnny pulls the car over in front of the Skool, just in time for the meeting. The boys stare at the building and the many people going inside.

            Now Johnny’s social anxiety isn’t nearly as bad as Squee’s. He can actually manage to talk to strangers without stuttering like a motorboat or having a panic attack. But he still gets uneasy when confronted with a large social event, especially when the people attending have a right to judge him on his guardianship. So he’s feeling a little nervous.

            “Oh, boy,” he mutters, “maybe I should have dressed nicer. Or at least cleaned up a bit better.”

            “You’re fine, Nny,” Squee smiles, “don’t worry. We’ll stay the required hour and half, I’ll introduce you to my teachers, and you can chow down on the free food. Okay?”

            “Okay,” Johnny smiles gratefully. He’s glad Squee believes in him like this.

            They get out of the car and walk into the Skool. They follow the signs to the auditorium, which is full of students, teachers, and parents.

            “Alright, lead the way,” Johnny grunts.

            Squee looks around unsurely. He doesn’t see any of his friends here. He gently squeezes Shmee as he walks into the room, Johnny close behind.

            He spots Mr. Serene, his math and science teacher, close by. He steels his nerves and walks up to him.

            “M-Mr. Serene,” he stammers nervously. The teacher looks at curiously and smiles.

            “Ah, Squee. Good evening.”

            “Uh, th-this is my um guardian, Johnny,” Squee says as he points at Nny.

            “Johnny, it’s good to meet you,” Mr. Serene smiles and sticks out his hand.

            Johnny doesn’t even acknowledge it. “Yes, you as well.”

            Mr. Serene chuckles awkwardly and lowers his hand. “Um, Squee is a great student. He listens very well and does great on the assignments. My only complaint is, I wish he would participate more in class. You know, answer questions and such.”

            “Hm. Yes, well, he doesn’t do well with being put on the spot,” Johnny shrugs.

            “Yes, I understand,” Mr. Serene nods, “but it is only a minor problem. He is quite smart. You should be proud.”

            Johnny just smiles and glances down at Squee. He’s staring bashfully at the floor and fiddling with his fingers.

            “Well, I have other parents to meet. Enjoy your evening,” Mr. Serene waves before walking off. Squee half waves and sighs.

            “Okay, who’s next?” Johnny asks.

            “Um, Ms. Bitters and Miss Sweeties, but I don’t see them around,” Squee replies.

            “Alright. Let’s get punch,” he declares as he walks over to one of the many tables. Squee smiles and follows after him.

            They dish out punch to their cups and sip it quietly for a few seconds, before Squee hears someone call his name. He turns around and smiles at Zita.

            “Oh, hey, Zita.”

            “Hi, Squee,” she smiles, “hello, Johnny.”

            “Nny, you remember Zita,” Squee says. Johnny just scratches his head as he stares at her curiously. “Remember? She was with us when we were attacked by Gaz’s stuffed animals.”

            “Oh, yeah,” he says with realization. “She was the one who said I had schizophrenia.”

            “Oh, I-I didn’t mean that,” Zita says quickly.

            “Don’t worry about it,” Johnny waves it away. “I’ve been called worse things.”

            Zita smiles and motions to the woman behind her. “This is my mom, Meredith. Mom, this is Squee and Johnny.”

            “It’s nice to meet you both,” Meredith smiles.

            “Uh, yeah. You too,” Squee nods.

            “So, Johnny.  What do you do for a living?” she asks.

            Johnny’s mind reels faster than a super computer. _I could say I’m in between jobs. But would that look good for Squee? Oh, wait. I know._

“I’m an exterminator.” Squee nearly chokes on his punch.

            “An exterminator?” Zita questions, “like with bugs?”

            “Bugs, rodents, all kinds of pests really,” Johnny shrugs, “but I think of it as more of a hobby than a job.”

            “Oh, that’s good,” Meredith smiles, “it’s always nice to have a job you love.”

            “Indeed,” Johnny smirks.

            “Oh, look! There’s Ms. Bitters!” Squee says quickly as he points across the room. “Come on, Johnny. Let’s go talk to her. See you, Zita.” He gently shoves Johnny away.

            “Bye, Squee,” Zita waves.

            Johnny giggles as they walk away. “I think I owe you an apology, Squee. This is more fun than I thought.”

            “I’m glad,” Squee grunts, completely unamused.

            He quickly clears his throat and waves nervously. “He-hello, Ms. Bitters.”

            She looks at him and grunts, “Squee.”

            “Uh, this is my guardian, Johnny.”

            Johnny cocks his eyebrow as he examines the history teacher. _Looks like a praying mantis._

            Ms. Bitters looks at Johnny, an eerily familiar scent wafting into her nose. She growls like a beast and Johnny winces. _Oh, shit. Did she just hear my thoughts?_

“Johnny C,” she snarls, “what does the C stand for?”

            “Nothing. It’s just-just C,” Johnny replies.

            “I see,” she mutters, “tell me, where did you go to school?”

            “Uh, um, I went to…a South End school,” he says quickly, “it wasn’t that great. You’ve probably never heard of it.”

            “Hm,” she grunts before slithering away.

            “I don’t think she likes me,” Johnny says.

            “I don’t think she likes anyone,” Squee says. He smiles, “you’re doing good though. I’m glad you’re keeping your temper in check.”

            “Nobody’s riled it yet,” Johnny shrugs.

            “Let’s hope it stays that way,” he says as he looks around. He smiles when he spots Dib. He waves and Dib waves back as he walks over.

            “Hey, Squee,” he smiles and looks up curiously. “You brought Johnny.”

            “I am his guardian,” Johnny grunts.

            “R-right,” Dib stammers, “er, I brought my dad. Dad, come over here.”

            Professor Membrane looks up from the tray of cookies and strides over. “Ah, Johnny C. It is a pleasure to see you again,” he says as he sticks out his hand.

            “Same to you, Professor,” Johnny smiles, ignoring his hand. [A/N. For any who might be confused, it is briefly mentioned in my IZ fanfic, Not Quite Un-Right, that Johnny and Membrane met at one point. It’s not really important.]

            “Ah-ha, still don’t like touching people I see,” Membrane laughs.

            “It’s nothing personal, Professor,” Johnny shrugs, “I hate touching most people.”

            “Nothing wrong with that,” Membrane says, “I must say, I was surprised when my son mentioned you were his friend’s guardian. I never pegged you as the child bearing type.”

            “I could say the same to you,” Johnny states.

            Membrane laughs jovially. Dib and Squee just stare at each other, completely exhausted with their adults.

            “So what’s Gaz up to?” Squee asks.

            “At home, playing games,” Dib replies, “Zim should be showing up soon. Wait until you get a load of his parents.”

            “Oh, yeah, I forgot about that,” Squee says, “does he even have parents?”

            “Not biologically. From what I know, Irkens are more like test tube babies,” he replies, “he has robots to pose as his human parents.”

            “Sounds cool,” Squee smiles.

            “It would be if they weren’t such a mess,” Dib sighs, “even with Kio’s instructions, they’re severely underdeveloped.”

            “Eh, I’m sure nobody will notice,” Squee shrugs.

            “Yeah, they don’t.”

            “Son, introduce me to your teachers now,” Membrane demands.

            “Yes, Dad. See you, Squee,” Dib waves before walking off. Squee smiles and waves back.

            “Membrane’s fun,” Johnny smiles, “he’s a special kind of idiot.”

            “Sure, Nny,” Squee nods.

            “So where’s your other teacher?” he asks.

            “Not sure. I don’t see her around,” he replies, “but there’s no need to rush. We still have over an hour left.”

            They stand by one of the concession tables and munch on the free food for a few minutes. Then Squee notices Zim walk through.

            “Oh, there’s Zim,” he smiles, “I wanna see his robo-parents.”

            Johnny groans as they walk over.

            “Hey, Zim,” Squee says.

            “Greetings, Squee,” Zim smiles then scowls. “You brought Johnny?”

            “Why does everyone keep saying that?” Johnny growls.

            Squee looks behind the disguised alien at the two ‘people’ behind him. “So these are your… uh parents, huh?”

            “Yes. They are quite parental and I love them will all my heart,” Zim nods. The two robots behind him look human enough, except for a few metal parts showing and the lifeless look in their eyes. “Mom, Dad, this is my friend, Squee.”

            “Be sure to brush your teeth every week,” the mom bot says.

            “My boy sure knows how to math class,” the dad bot says.

            Zim sighs. “I still have trouble with their human interaction.”

            “Yeah, I can relate,” Squee nods.

            “Still they get the job done,” Zim shrugs, “I’m gonna go introduce them to the teachers.”

            “Good luck,” Squee waves as they walk away.

            “Oh,” he gasps as he notices someone from the corner of his eye. “There’s Miss Sweeties. Let’s go talk to her.”

            Johnny sighs and follows him to the bubbly teacher.

            “Miss Sweeties,” Squee waves.

            “Squee. It’s so good to see you,” she smiles.

            “Yes. This is my guardian, Johnny,” she says.

            “Johnny.  It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Her hand lashes out and grabs Johnny’s, giving it a nice hearty shake. A shock travels all over Johnny’s body as he shudders with disgust. Squee’s hands shoot up to his mouth. Shmee chuckles.

            It takes all of Johnny’s will power to not snap off the woman’s arm. Fortunately for everyone he’s wearing his gloves so he doesn’t have to feel her skin. “Yes. You too,” he grunts.

            “Squee is such a great student,” Miss Sweeties beams as she finally lets him go. “He listens so well and does great on the assignments.”

            “Glad to hear it,” Johnny growls.

            “I gotta go meet some other parents,” she smiles, “see you Monday, Squee.”

            “Bye,” he waves as she walks away. As soon as she’s gone, he looks at Johnny worriedly.

            “I don’t like her,” he grunts. Squee sighs and pats his arm.

            “You did a great job, Nny,” he smiles, “now we just have to stay the rest of the hour.”

            Johnny groans and walks over to the concession. He fills a cup with punch and slams it back. “Not as good as Fiz Wiz.”

            Squee smiles and munches on a cookie. He perks up when he notices Pepito walk in. He waves. Pepito smiles and waves back. But his smile is not the usual elated grin. Instead it looks kind of forced. As Squee looks him over he realizes he’s not wearing his beanie to cover his horns, and he looks all around deflated.

            A man follows Pepito into the room. Squee and Johnny immediately recognize him and growl as they walk over.

            Pepito’s brought his father. Even though his human disguise is that of a respectable looking man, Johnny and Squee feel nothing but disgust in his presence.

            “Well, well, Johnny and Squee C,” Satan smiles, “it’s so good to see you both again.”

            The boys just glare him.

            “My, what’s with those similar expressions? You two have been spending too much time together,” he sighs, “Squee, you’ve certainly grown the last few years. Not on the outside of course, but the inside is what counts, isn’t it?”

            His hand reaches towards Squee’s head. He doesn’t wince or back down, but Satan still doesn’t get the chance to touch him. Johnny steps between the two and smacks his hand away.

            “Johnny, still as overprotective as ever, I see,” Satan comments. Johnny just glares at him.

            Squee looks at Pepito curiously. He looks so depressed. His eyes are completely focused on the floor. He won’t even meet Squee’s gaze.

            Squee slowly reaches towards him but before he can get close, his danger sensors go off.

            “Careful,” Shmee warns and he quickly pulls his arm back. He looks up at Satan fearfully. Nothing tried to attack him, but the bloodlust from his glare was enough to drive Squee back.

            “Anyway,” Satan grunts, “I need to meet my son’s teachers. Please excuse me. Pepito.”

            Satan walks off and Pepito follows him like a whipped puppy, still not meeting Squee’s gaze.

            “What the fuck is he doing here?” Johnny growls.

            “I don’t know. But it can’t be good,” Squee replies, “I’ve never seen Pepito like this.”       

            Squee rubs his chin before coming to a conclusion. “Will you be okay on your own?”

            “I guess. Why?” Johnny asks.

            “I just gotta go do something,” he replies, “I’ll be back in a bit.”

            He trots through the large room until he finally spots Zim and Dib, then quickly runs over to them.

            “Guys,” he grunts.

            “Hey, Squee,” Dib says, “what’s up?”

            “I need your help with something,” he replies, “Pepito brought his dad here.”

            “His dad? Like… Satan?” he whispers.

            “Yeah. And something’s wrong. He looks really sad,” Squee explains, “I wanna talk to him but I just know Satan won’t let me near him. Can you help me split them up? Like distract Satan or something?”

            “Of course,” Zim booms, “leave it to Zim.”

            He marches off towards Pepito and his dad, his robo-parents in tow.

            “Um, Dad,” Dib says, “I gotta go do something. Stay here, okay?”

            Membrane doesn’t even notice. He’s too busy talking to Mr. Serene.

            “Let’s go,” Dib grunts. Squee nods and they scurry off.

            “Greetings, Pepito!” Zim calls as he approaches the disheartened antichrist.

            “Oh, uh, hey, Zim,” Pepito mutters.

            “This must be your father,” Zim comments, “hello, I am Zim. No doubt you’ve heard of me. I am pretty amazing.”

            Satan looks down at him, unamused. “That’s quite the interesting hue you have.”

            “Oh, yes,” Zim nods affirmatively, “it’s a birthmark.”

            Pepito cracks up and covers his mouth to keep from laughing.

            “These are my parents,” Zim says proudly, “Mom, Dad. This is my friend, Pepito, and his father.”

            “I cut grass for a living,” Robo-Dad states.

            “If your spine hurts, you should be stepped on,” Robo-Mom says.

            Satan is too thrown off to even have a response and Pepito is trying his hardest not to burst out laughing.

            While Zim’s parents distract Satan with their interesting conversation topics, Squee and Dib sneak up on Pepito. They grab him, race out of the auditorium, down the hall, and into an empty classroom.

            “Guys, what are-?” Pepito starts to ask but Squee hushes him. He and Dib look through the window into the hall, and sigh with relief when they see they weren’t followed.

            “You know, you can say what you want about Zim, but he is kind of a genius,” Squee smiles.

            “In his own way,” Dib nods.

            “What’s going on?” Pepito asks.

            “That’s what I want to know,” Squee shoots back, “why is Satan here? And why do you look so sad?”

            Pepito sighs and rubs his neck. “Alright. A few days ago Father showed up at the house. He said that he wanted to raise me again, but he has no desire of getting back together with Mom. He wants to train me to be the antichrist without any ‘Earthly desires’ getting in the way.”

            “Mom didn’t agree with this so they’ve been arguing for a while. They might form some kind of custody agreement. Anyway Mom let Father go with me to this thing. I guess she was just tired of arguing or something. But on the way here, he told me that if he gets full custody, then I’ll have to live in Hell with him.”

            “What?” Dib exclaims.

            “You don’t want to, do you?” Squee asks.

            “Of course not. I have absolutely no desire to be the antichrist,” Pepito says, “I just want to make music and go to Skool like a normal person. But Father completely disagrees. He won’t even let me wear my beanie. He thinks it’s ridiculous for me to hide my so called ‘lineage’.”

            “What are you gonna do?” Squee asks.

            “There’s nothing I can do,” he replies, “he just won’t listen to me.”

            “So make him listen.”

            Squee and Dib spin around to Zim. He’s standing in the doorway, looking very stern.

            “What are you doing here?” Dib asks.

            “Don’t worry. The robo-parents have Satan completely distracted,” Zim says reassuringly.

            “I can’t just make him listen, Zim,” Pepito says, “it’s not that easy.”

            “Bullshit,” he snaps, “you have control over your own life and you’re the one at fault for thinking otherwise. If you just give yourself blindly over to an authority figure, then you’ll only end up getting hurt.”

            His PAK opens up and a spider leg comes out, holding a pink beanie. Zim grabs it and pulls it on over Pepito’s head. “You know how you want to live and what you want to do. Don’t let anyone force you to do otherwise.”

            Pepito looks at him with surprise. He straightens the beanie so it covers his horns and smiles. But his smile quickly disappears as a cold shiver runs down the other’s spines. They spin around to Satan standing in the doorway.

            “You three are a bad influence,” he growls.

            “Bad influence?” Dib questions.

            He points at Squee. “A constant disappointment to his parents and an escapee from a mental hospital.” He points at Dib. “Always defying his father’s wishes.” He points at Zim. “A criminal and all-around embarrassment of his entire race.”

            “Wow, he’s right,” Zim mutters then beams, “we’re bad boys!”

            “Oh, my god,” Squee groans and facepalms.

            “I don’t want any of you hanging around my son,” Satan demands, “you’re filling his head with bad ideas.”

            “We’re filling his head with the truth,” Dib snaps, “you have no control over him.”

            “That’s right. Children aren’t just puppets to their parents, no matter who they are,” Squee adds.

            “You can’t make him do anything he doesn’t want to,” Zim concludes, “Pepito is his own person.”

            “Foolish little mortals,” Satan snarls, “you know not the powers you face. Pepito is the Antichrist and he will bring darkness upon this world.”

            “This world is mine,” Zim argues, “and nobody will bring darkness upon it, least of all somebody who doesn’t want to.”

            “Pepito!” Satan snaps, “come here! And take off that ridiculous hat!”

            “No, Father!” Pepito says sternly, “I don’t want to. This hat is amazing.”

            “You dare defy me?”

            “I don’t want to be the antichrist. I want to make music and friends. Earth is awesome and I’m not going to ruin it.”

            Satan snarls. Black lighting is crackling around him. His disguise is starting to drop, slowly revealing his true form. Pepito and the others back up warily.

            “Found you!” Satan gasps as Zim’s robot parents glomp him from behind.

            “Come, dear, we must take a photo with our new friend,” Dad robot chimes.

            “Yes! To the toilets!” Mom robot cheers. They hold onto Satan and race down the hall cheerfully. Zim and the others watch them with surprise.

            “I… think it’s time to go,” Dib says.

            “Yup,” the others nod and race back to auditorium.

            Squee and Dib run through the room and quickly grab their adults, who are thankfully talking to each other.

            “Johnny, come on, we gotta go,” Squee orders as he tugs on Nny’s arm.

            “Yeah, us too, Dad,” Dib says quickly.

            “Is it over already?” Membrane asks.

            “Yeah, yeah sure,” he nods, “just go. Hurry.”

            “Squee, what’s wrong?” Johnny asks as Squee pushes him into the hallway.

            “Nothing yet. That’s why we gotta go,” Squee replies.

            Pepito and Zim wait for them by the front door. Once they’ve arrived, Pepito pulls the fire alarm and they leave.

            They’re outside before the sprinklers go off. They stop on the front lawn and turn around as everyone else rushes out of the building.

            Somewhere inside the Skool, a small explosion is heard. Something flies through the ceiling and lands by Zim’s feet. They stare down with surprise at his robo-Dad’s head.

            “Eh, they were failures anyway,” he shrugs.

            “Is this how most of these meetings go?” Johnny asks.

            “More often than you’d think,” Dib replies.

            “You guys do understand you just made an enemy out of one of the most dangerous creatures in history, right?” Pepito asks.

            “So?” Zim shrugs.

            “Yeah, seems like a normal day to me,” Dib comments.

            “I’m pretty sure Satan already hated me,” Squee says, “this is just gravy.”

            Pepito sighs. “You guys are crazy.”

            “Are not,” Dib argues.

            “If we’re crazy then you’re just as crazy because you choose to hang out with us,” Squee retorts.

            “I guess I am,” Pepito smiles.

            “Come on, guys. We’re not crazy. We’re amazing!” Zim cheers.

            “What the hell did you guys do?” Johnny asks.

            “Nothing out of the ordinary,” Squee replies.

            “Oh, yeah, that totally clears everything up,” he scoffs sarcastically.

            The boys smile but it quickly drops at the sound of sirens.

            “Uh oh,” Pepito groans.

            “We better get going,” Dib demands.

            “Yeah. I gotta rebuild my robo-parents anyway,” Zim says.

            They quickly leave the Skool grounds. Dib goes with his dad to their car, Zim marches proudly down the street, and Squee and Johnny go to their car.

            “Do you want a ride?” Squee asks Pepito.    

            “No, that’s okay,” he replies, “my mom dropped us off. She should be here soon.”

            “Okay. See you,” he waves and climbs into the car. Pepito smiles and waves back.

            “You know,” Johnny says as they drive away. “I did pretty great today. I mean I don’t like to brag, but I kept my temper in check all evening. I didn’t get into any trouble. So I don’t think it’d be too much to ask if you did the same every once in a while.”

            “If I could I would,” Squee sighs, “but trouble follows me around like a lost dog.”

            “Yeah, well, I guess you living with me is proof of that,” Johnny grunts.

            “That’s not trouble. That’s an added bonus,” he beams.

            Johnny smiles and ruffles his hair. Tonight didn’t go quite as planned, but somehow it wasn’t out of the ordinary either. It was just another normal day.


	15. Fanatics 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A family moves in next door to Nny and Squee.

New Neighbors

 

            It’s a nice, lazy Saturday morning. Johnny is spread out on the couch in an old pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and striped socks. The floor around him is littered in candy wrappers and empty Fiz Wiz bottles. He’s watching a romantic comedy movie. For the last hour and a half the male and female lead have been denying their feelings for each and getting into all kinds of ridiculously hilarious fights.

            “They either need to kill each other or make out,” Johnny declares. He tears open a bag of chocolate balls and dumps half the contents into his mouth.

            His moment of blissfulness is interrupted by a knock on the door. He groans, swallows the candy, and throws on a nearby sweater before answering.

            It’s Amanda, his neighbor from across the street. They hate each other so she must have a good reason for coming here.

            They do their routine glare before Johnny asks, “what?”

            “I just thought I should let you know- because I doubt you were aware- that the house next door was just sold,” she replies.

            “What?” he exclaims and looks next door. He quickly spots the ‘Sold’ sign on the front lawn.

            “Yeah, I think they’re moving in sometime today,” she says.

            “Do you know anything about them?”

            “I think they’re a family, but that’s it.”

            “Hm,” Johnny groans and scratches his head. “Well, thanks for letting me know, I guess.”

            “Don’t feel special. I’m telling Shane and Sage to,” Amanda grunts.

            “Of course you are, because you just have to be involved in everything,” he snaps.           

            They glare at each other again before Johnny slams the door closed. He leans against it and rubs his forehead.

            He’s not particularly worried about getting new neighbors. As long as they leave him the hell alone, then everything will be fine. But that house next door, that’s the one Squee used to live in when he was a kid. When he was Todd Casil.

            Squee never talks about his past. In fact, he doesn’t seem the least bit bothered by it. But that might be because he’s never had anything to remind him of it. So how will this affect him?

            Johnny sighs and starts cleaning up his mess. Squee’s still asleep. He’s been sleeping in a lot on the weekends.

            “Should I tell him when he wakes up?” Johnny muses as he cleans. “I mean he’ll find out eventually. I might as well be the one to prepare him. I wonder how he’ll take it.”

            As soon as he’s finished cleaning, Squee leaves his bedroom. He’s in his striped pyjamas with Shmee hanging from his arms and Nugget trotting at his heels. He stretches and yawns, “morning, Nny.”

            “Morning,” Johnny says.

            Squee walks past him to the fridge. Johnny watches him as he grabs a carton of milk and pours some into a cup.

            “So uh,” he mutters and rubs his neck. “Amanda just told me that um the house next door has just been sold.”

            “Really?” Squee questions.

            “Yeah. Apparently the new residents are moving in sometime today,” he adds.

            “That’s cool,” he comments.

            “Are you… okay with that?” he asks cautiously.

            “Even if I wasn’t there’s nothing I can do about it,” Squee replies as he walks by.

            “Yeah, that’s true,” Johnny grunts, “but I mean more emotionally. Are you bothered? You did used to live there.”

            “It’s fine, Nny,” Squee says, “that part of my life isn’t a factor anymore. Like you.”

            “Well, yeah, but I have the luxury of not being able to remember my past reality,” Johnny reminds him, “you don’t.”

          “It’s okay, really,” he says again and smiles, “but it’s kind of exciting, getting new neighbors.”

            “Ugh, I guess,” Johnny groans as they sit on the couch.

            The rest of the morning is uneventful. Squee eats breakfast with Johnny and the two spend hours watching mindless TV. Then a moving van pulls up out front, followed by an old looking car.

            Four people jump out of the car and walk up the lawn to the newly sold house. Little do these people know, everyone on the block is watching them.

            The C’s watch from the kitchen window, eyeing them through the blinds.

            “What do you think?” Squee asks.

            “Looks like an average family to me,” Johnny shrugs.

            There’s a pale, thin man in the lead. He’s clearly the father. Behind him is a pretty dark-skinned woman. She’s the mother. Taking up the rear is a tan skinned teenage boy and a young girl.

            “Mother looks caring and father looks… mediocre,” Johnny observes.

            “The girl looks about Emily’s age,” Squee says, “she’ll like that.”

            “The boy looks about your age,” Johnny adds, “do you like that?”

            Squee shrugs, “I don’t think we’ll be communicating much.”

            Nugget meows, unimpressed, and trots away.

            “My sentiments exactly, cat,” Johnny grunts, “they don’t seem very interesting.”

            “I wonder why they’re moving to Grave Road,” Squee muses.

            “Money troubles, probably,” Johnny replies, “that’s why anyone moves here.”

            Squee continues to watch them as Nny walks away. He fiddles with Shmee’s arms.

            “There really is nothing special about them,” Shmee says, “kind of underwhelming, really.”

            Squee sighs and joins Johnny on the couch. They continue watching TV for the rest of the day. Just a nice, uneventful Saturday.

            That is until sometime in the evening, when someone rings the doorbell.

            “Two guests in one day,” Johnny grunts as he stands up. “New record.”

            “What about Devi and Tenna?” Squee asks.

            “Stalkers don’t count,” he replies as he opens the door. Standing there is the woman that just moved in next door.

            “Hello,” she smiles and waves. “My name is Mia Evans, I just moved in next door.”

            Johnny stares at her with annoyance before saying, “I’m Johnny C.”

            “It’s nice to meet you,” she beams.

            “It could be if you leave me alone,” Johnny grunts.

            “Hi, hey, hello,” Squee says quickly as he steps between the two. “I-I’m Squee, Squee C. It’s nice to meet you.”

            “Hello,” Mia smiles.

            “Don’t mind Johnny, he’s just um grouchy,” Squee smiles apologetically. Johnny glares at him but he ignores him.

            “Squee, if you don’t mind me asking, how old are you?” she asks.

            “Fifteen,” Squee replies.

            “My son is sixteen,” she beams, “would you like to meet him?”

            “Um, well.” Before he can give a straight answer, Mia’s already waving to someone next door.

            “Colton, Colton, come here a sec,” she calls. A few seconds later, the teenage boy walks over. “Squee, this is my son, Colton.”

            “Um, hi,” Squee says.

            “Uh, hey,” Colton replies.

            Colton is just a little taller than Squee with short black hair and brown eyes. He’s wearing some kind of super hero t-shirt and black pants. All in all, he’s not all that extraordinary.

            The two boys kind of stare at each other before looking away awkwardly.

            “Colton, maybe Squee can show you around the neighborhood,” Mia suggests.

            “You’ve driven down the road,” Johnny grunts, “you’ve seen the neighborhood.”

           Mia smiles awkwardly before patting Colton’s shoulder. “Well, it was nice meeting you both. I’m gonna introduce myself to the rest of the neighbors. See you later.”

            The C boys half wave before closing the door.

            “Fuck, that was awkward,” Shmee comments.

            “Ugh, Mia seems like the kind of person that butts into everybody’s business, just like Amanda,” Johnny groans with disgust.

            “They’ll probably get along and gossip a lot,” Squee says.

            “What do you think of that Colton kid?” Johnny asks.

            “Not sure. He seems… alright,” he replies.

            “Mia seems to want the two of you to be friends,” he points out.

            Squee doesn’t say anything to this. He just sits on the couch and scratches Nugget’s neck.

            The next day is just as uneventful. The neighbors spend it setting up their house and moving everything in, so their yard is cluttered with boxes.

            Devi and Tenna come over sometime in the afternoon, and Johnny fills them in on the situation. They wouldn’t leave him alone until he did.

            “So are they nice?” Tenna asks.

            “I guess,” Johnny shrugs, “still annoying.”

            “You think everybody’s annoying,” Devi grunts.

            “Everybody is,” he retorts.

            “What about you, Squee? What do you think of them?” Tenna asks.

            “They’re alright, I guess,” he shrugs.

            “You should totally talk to that Colton kid,” Devi suggests.

            “Why?”

            “Wouldn’t it be nice to have some normal friends?”

            “What exactly qualifies as ‘normal’?” he asks.

            “Being human, for one,” she replies.

            “If you’re referring to Zim being an alien, let me point out that in Irken society, humans aren’t normal,” he retorts.

            “He’s got you there,” Johnny says.

            “Alright, I deserved that,” Devi shrugs, “a kid should be able to pick his own friends. But how about this? Wouldn’t it be nice to have a friend that lives nearby?”

            “Pepito’s house is close enough to walk to,” Squee argues.

            “Don’t you want to meet new people?” Tenna asks.

            “Not really, no.”

            Johnny chuckles. “You’re fighting a losing battle. Just leave the kid alone.”

            They sigh but otherwise stay quiet.

            Later that day, Squee leaves the house to go to the convenience store. On the way back he notices Emily playing with the new girl. They’re in Amanda’s yard, talking and having a good time.

          He smiles as he starts to head up to his house. But he suddenly stops at a sharp yell, “Colton!”

            He turns around and notices the neighbor dad motioning angrily to a large stack of boxes.

            “Your books are going to take up the whole house at this point,” he snaps, “I thought I told you to sell them.”

            “I can’t sell them, Dad,” Colton argues, “they’re like my most prized possessions.”

            “Fine,” he grunts, “but you’re moving them in and you’re keeping them all in your room.”  
            “Fine,” Colton scoffs. The dad walks away, leaving Colton with the pile of boxes.

            Squee stares in awe. There are over twenty large boxes in that pile. And they’re all books?

            Colton groans as he tries to pick up a box from the top of the tower. He loses his balance and knocks one over. It hits the ground hard and tears open, sending books tumbling across the grass.

            “Fuck,” Colton moans as he starts to pick them up.

            Squee grabs one that landed near his feet. It’s some sort of fantasy graphic novel.

            “Um.” Squee looks up at Colton. He winces and hands him the book.

            “Uh, sorry,” he says quickly.

            “It’s okay,” Colton mutters as he takes the book. He’s got them all in his arms and is having a hard time holding them.

            “Do you uh need help?” Squee asks hesitantly.

            “Um, sure,” Colton replies just as hesitantly.

            Squee puts the grocery bag on the ground and takes some books from Colton. They carry them back over to his pile of boxes and rest them in the open one.

            “So uh are these all books?” Squee asks in the hopes of breaking the awkward silence.

            “Um, yeah,” Colton replies, “they’re comic books, graphic novels, and manga. I have way too much. But I’ve read them all like a dozen times. I really love them. Uh, but it’s dumb.”

            It’s clear that Colton loves talking about his books but probably never gets the chance to.

            Squee smiles, “I don’t think it’s dumb. I love books too.”

            “You do?”

          “Well, I mean, comic books are cool but I read novels more,” he clarifies, “I even write a bit.”

            “A bit. That’s an understatement,” Shmee comments.

            “You write? That’s really cool,” Colton smiles.

            “Yeah, I enjoy it.”

            “What kind of stuff do you write?”

            “Uh, just random things. I don’t really have a set genre.”

            “What kind of books do you read?”

            “Um, slice-of-life stuff mostly. You know, like fictional stories related to real life,” Squee replies, “what about you?”

            “I like fantasy and adventure,” Colton says as he digs around the box before pulling out a graphic novel. “My favourite series is ‘The Black Storm’ by Travis Ringer. It’s kind of a horror, adventure type thing. But the art is incredible.”

            “You like art?” Squee asks.

            Colton nods. “That’s why I like comic books so such. They’re a mixture of stories and drawings. It’s like the best of both worlds.”

            “Do you draw at all?”

            “No. I’ve tried but I’m not very good. And I don’t really have the patience for it,” he smiles bashfully, “but uh I do play music a bit.”

            “You play an instrument?”

            He nods. “Bass guitar.”

            “That’s so cool,” Squee beams.

            Colton smiles. “I also really like rap. But I’m not very good at it. I stutter too much. Uh, what kind of music do you like?”

            “A little bit of everything I guess. But one of my friends is really into rock and roll so I’ve been getting more into that.”

            “Colton!” The boys wince at the shout and turn around. His dad is pointing angrily at the house. “Enough talking and move your books into the house already. We don’t have all day.”

            “I should probably go,” Squee says as he picks up his grocery bag.

            “Yeah. But um we should talk again,” Colton says quickly.

            “Sure,” Squee smiles.

            With that Colton goes back to trying to move his books while Squee enters his house. As soon as he’s inside, he’s bombarded by the prying eyes of Devi, Tenna, and Johnny.

            “What?” he questions.

            “We saw that,” Tenna says slyly.

            “What?”

            “You two were so cute,” Devi coos, “you both just had huge smiles on your faces.”

            Squee groans and walks to the kitchen.

            “So? What’s he like?” Johnny asks.

            “He’s actually really cool,” Squee smiles, “he likes books and art and he plays bass guitar.”  
            “Aw, see, you are friends,” Tenna chimes.

            Squee rolls his eyes and doesn’t say anything as he unpacks the groceries.

            Later that evening,  Squee is sitting on the couch, writing yet another story in one of his many notebooks. He’s puttering along at an enjoyable pace when he’s suddenly interrupted.

            “Squee~~,” Tenna and Devi sing.

            “What?” he groans.

            “Colton is outside on the curb, all alone,” Tenna says.

            “You should go talk to him,” Devi adds.

            “But I’m writing a story,” he argues.

They grab him by his shirt and shove him out the door. “The story can wait.”

            They close the door and lock it before he even knows what happened. He spins around with surprise then sighs with annoyance.

            “You two are tyrannical,” Johnny comments.

            “It’s for his own good,” Devi insists.

            Squee looks at Colton. He’s just sitting on the curb, watching his little sister play with Emily across the street.

            Squee fiddles with Shmee’s arms as he walks up to him. “Uh, hey.”

            “Oh, hi,” Colton says.

            “Can I um join you?”

            Colton nods. Squee sits beside him and they watch the girls in silence.

            After a few minutes, Colton points at his sister. “That’s my little sister, Kay. She’s like a billions times cooler than me.”

            “Isn’t she only five?” Squee asks.

            “Doesn’t matter,” Colton shrugs.

            “Well, she does seem pretty cool,” he comments, “and Emily really likes her.”

            “Yeah, they stuck together like glue the second they met.”

            They’re quiet for a few more minutes before Colton again tries to strike up a conversation. “So, uh, your brother, is he as scary as he looks?”

            “You mean Johnny? He’s not my brother,” Squee says, “we’re not even blood related. But I’m closer to him than I ever was with my parents. Oh, and to answer your question, no he’s not.”

            “He seems pretty scary,” Colton comments.

            “You’ll get used to him,” Squee says reassuringly, “what about your dad? Is he as scary as he looks?”

            “Only when he’s mad,” he replies, “his name’s Lloyd. You probably won’t see much of him after we’re settled in. He spends most of his time working.”

            “Your mom seems nice.”

            “She is. But she can be a little overbearing. She’s always trying to make me meet new friends,” he groans, “but I hate meeting new people.”

            “Me too,” Squee sighs, “most people think I’m weird.”

            “Me too. Everyone at school thinks I’m a loser.”

            They stare at each other with surprise before smiling.

            “I think you’re pretty cool, Squee,” Colton says.

            “I think you’re pretty cool too,” Squee replies.

            “You wanna my bro?” he asks.

            “Bro?”

            “It’s like friends, but better.”

            “Um, sure, okay.”

            Colton beams and lifts his fist. Squee looks at it questionably.

            “Pound it, dude,” Colton says, “bro fist.”

            “What a dork,” Shmee comments.

            “A cool dork,” Squee smiles and taps his fist against Colton’s.

            “Hey, Squee!” Emily exclaims as she runs over. “Guess what? Kay says she thinks unicorns are awesome.”      

            “Well of course they are,” Squee nods, “right, Colton?”

            “Obviously. Unicorns are like the coolest things ever,” Colton agrees.

            “I know, right,” Emily sings.

            “Emily, Colton reads about unicorns all the time,” Kay says.

            Squee looks at him questionably.

            “Um, one of my graphic novels features unicorns,” he clarifies then whispers, “but they’re a slightly more violent version than I think Emily’s familiar with.”

            “In my experience, things are always slightly more violent than the versions we’re familiar with,” Squee comments, “like elves.”

            “What? Elves?” Colton questions.

            “Oh, um, never mind,” he says quickly.

            “No, come on, dude. You’ve gotta spill,” he demands.

            “Okay, well, a couple years ago, around Christmas, I was attacked by these little creatures that turned out to elves,” Squee explains, “they were vicious and nothing like the elves from stories.”

            “That’s so cool,” Colton exclaims.

            “You believe me?”

            “Sure, bros always believe in their bros.”

            Squee smiles gratefully. Most people would’ve called him weird or crazy. But Colton believed him without a second thought. Maybe he’s not as ordinary as Squee originally thought. Being bros might be pretty funny.


	16. Fanatics 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A young Johnathan tries to figure out what to do with his life.

Fragments of a Past Reality- Epiphanies

 

            The former Johnathan Cessation sat in a filthy alley, his blanket pulled over his head. He barely noticed the people walking by, living their lives. They barely noticed him.

            He wasn’t sure how long he was sitting there. Hours? Days? He wasn’t even sure how he got there. After his breakdown at his mother and sister’s gravestones, the last few days went by like a haze, as if he was looking through a screen door.

            He still wasn’t any better. He felt scared. Lonely. Broken. Just all around pathetic.

            He stared emotionlessly as the ground, listening to the chatter of everyday life and his own breathing. It was starting to get dark out. People were heading home from work or school or wherever else people go during the day. He probably would’ve stayed there for a while longer if his back wasn’t starting to hurt.

            He stood up, dusted the dirt off his pants, and walked off. To where, he didn’t know.

“Hey, Johnny. When was the last time you’ve eaten? You should eat something. This isn’t good for you, you know.”

            Johnathan winced. For a while now he had been hearing a voice in his head. Or maybe it was multiple voices. He couldn’t tell.

            He wasn’t sure what to make of them. What did they mean? Why did they exist? He tried to ignore them, but it was hard.

            This wasn’t the first time he heard voices. He heard them when he was younger too. They scared him. When he told his mom, she assured him they weren’t real. And he believed her. For a long time he didn’t hear them again.

            So why have they returned? What triggered them?

            Johnathan takes these questions into consideration but not for very long. It’s too exhausting to think. He just doesn’t have the energy.

            When the sun has disappeared behind the horizon, he reaches his destination. A destination he didn’t know he was heading to.

            He stopped and stared up at the building. The sign read ‘North Arc High School’.

            Johnathan’s stomach tied into a billion knots as he looked around. Why was he here? He shouldn’t have been here. Somebody would catch him.

            But he didn’t see anybody. The street was completely empty.

            Johnathan looked back at the school. The entire perimeter had been blocked off by police do-not-cross-tape. He ducked under it and walked through the yard to the front door. He pushed on it, but it didn’t budge.

            Well, he didn’t really expect it to open. Fortunately, he knew of a secret way in.

            He trudged through the schoolyard, around to the back to a shed. He tried to open it but it was locked too. He sighed and backed away before kicking down the door. He kneeled over for a second, panting for breath. He really had no stamina left.

            After he caught his breath, Johnathan walked into the shed and pushed aside a large box, revealing a small, wooden door in the floor. He opened it and dropped into the darkness.

            It wasn’t a long drop. He landed on dirt quite quickly. It was pitch black though, but Johnathan wasn’t worried. He knew this tunnel very well.

            He walked through the darkness, following along completely by heart. It didn’t take him long to reach the end. Then he pushed up on a secret door he knew was there. It opened without difficulty.

            He pulled himself up into a storage room in the school. He left the room and entered the halls. He looked around, his mouth agape and so many memories flowing into his mind.

            So many terrible memories.

            He walked down the hall as he recalled his high school life. He was not happy here. He experienced nothing but pain. It hurt to remember it. Why was he even here in the first place?

            He stopped as he noticed a room on the right. It was the school counsellor’s office.

            He blinked and opened the door. It looked just as he remembered, albeit a bit dustier.

            He walked over to one of the easy chairs and sat down. He spent many of his school days in this chair, complaining about bullies or unfair teachers, or just looking for a reprieve.

            The counsellor wasn’t a bad person. He was friendly and fair. He always listened to Johnathan, no matter how ‘colourful’ his language got. Johnathan doesn’t recall killing him during his massacre. Maybe that gun slinging asshole got to him first?

            Johnathan squirmed uncomfortably. Maybe it was just the environment getting to him, but he suddenly just really wanted to talk.

            “Hello,” he croaked, “my name is… was Johnathan Cessation.”

            “Why do you say ‘was’?”

            Johnathan looked around. Did that voice come from his head or another external source? He didn’t see anybody. So was it just his head?

            “Uh,” he stammered, “er, because I don’t really know who I am anymore. Actually, I haven’t known who I am for a long time. I think I just went by Johnathan Cessation because it was the easiest route. But now I can’t even do that. Johnathan Cessation is a disappointment; a runaway; a murderer.”

            “Murderer?”

            “Yeah, I-.” He froze and held his head in his hands. “Oh, god. I killed so many people.”

            “Why would you do that?”

            “Because.” He gripped his hair and shouted, “because they were all terrible people. They deserved it. They were scum. The kids beat me up, made fun of me. Even the other outcasts thought I was a freak. And the teachers didn’t help. They thought I was weird too! I even killed a fucking rapist! He definitely deserved to die.”

            “If you’re so certain they deserved it, why do you feel regret?”

            “I don’t know,” Johnathan sighed and lowered his hands. “Maybe… maybe it’s not my fault I feel regret? Maybe it’s like society planting the thought in my head. It’s the reason everyone believes murder is terrible. And for the most part, it is. But maybe death is the only way to stop these bad people?”

            “But you just said murder is bad. So doesn’t that make you bad for committing it?”  
            “Of course it does,” Johnathan barked as he jumped to his feet. “I’m a terrible fucking person! I’m just as bad as the people I killed! Even you think so! That’s why you’re suggesting it!”

            “But of course you think so!” he yells as he stomps around. “You’re just a voice in my head, an extension of my opinions! I’m just talking to myself right now! I really am fucking nuts!”

            He stops and tries to catch his breath. “Yeah. Yeah, of course I’m crazy. I don’t think I’ve ever been sane. I mean why else would I be hearing voices in my head? Isn’t that like the number one sign for insanity?”

            “How should I know? I’m just a voice in your head.”

            “Exactly,” Johnathan exclaims as he points at a random spot in the room. “There’s no one even there right now. What am I even pointing at? Nothing, cause I’m crazy!”

            “Okay. So you’re a crazy, you’re a terrible person, and death is the only way to rid the Earth of scum. You’re having quite a few epiphanies there. What are you gonna do with all those realizations? Become some sort of vigilante?”

            “No way,” he replied, “I don’t want people to look upon my acts as heroic. I want them to hate me and be disgusted by what I do, just like with all terrible people.”

            He sighed, his adrenaline rushing out of him like a deflated balloon. He picked up his blanket and draped it over his shoulders.

            “But before that, I gotta start living better. I’m tired of being depressed. It’s pathetic,” he grunted.

            “What are you going to do about it?”

            Johnathan didn’t answer. He just left the room and soon the school.

            About an hour so later he was standing over Tammie and Sheri’s gravestones, yet again. He stared at them for a minute before bashfully rubbing the back of his neck.

            “I’m back,” he said, “I know last time you saw me I had a bit of a breakdown. But I’m better now. Much better.”

            “I’ve come to a realization that I’m pretty fucking insane. But you already knew that, didn’t you? Especially you, Mom. You always knew I was crazy. Or at the very least, you suspected it.”

            “When did it start?” he mused, “I heard the story of when I was born and I bit that nurse on the finger and wouldn’t let it go. But I think my insanity really started to show when I started to show an interest in blood. Remember? When I was ten I sliced my wrists open.”

            He rolled up his filthy sleeves, revealing the matching scars on his wrists. “I know Dad thought it was because I was hurting, but really it was because I wanted to see what if felt like. I wanted to feel the pain, I wanted to see the blade slice my skin, I wanted to see my blood trickle it out. I wanted to experience it.”

            He ran his thumb along the bumpy scar, a small smile on his face. “I don’t regret doing it. I know at the time I cried, but that was because I was surprised. Surprised by what I felt, surprised by how scared you were. But that’s all changed now. So much has changed.”

            “I don’t regret killing all those people anymore.” His smile turned maniacal. “They deserved it. They all deserved it. Especially that asshole murderer who killed the two of you. But I’m sure you feel differently. You were both too kind-hearted and selfless in life. You wouldn’t understand my reasoning. But you don’t have to.”

             He took a deep breath and settled his nerves. “I’m not going to go by Johnathan Cessation anymore. That’s not who I am. I don’t think I’ve been that person for a long time. Probably not since you two were killed. I’ve thought of a better name for myself. Granted it’s not too different or imaginative, but I think it suits me.”

            “From now on I will be Johnny C. Yeah, it’s quite similar to my old name, but you can consider that an homage to you, and how much you both meant to me.”

            He smiled a sweet, happy smile. “I miss you and I’m sure you don’t agree with my new life choices. But I do hope you’ll at least watch over me. I promise I’ll visit all the time, whenever I am able.”

            He sighed and stepped back, a big grin on his face. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a life to put together.”

            He spun on his heel and marched away, his blanket flowing off his shoulders like a cape. His grin widened as he thought about the next few days. He was excited. He couldn’t wait to start building his new life as Johnny C.


	17. Fanatics 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaz meets her match in a video game tournament.

Battle Battle Footy Kick 2 Tournament

 

            Gaz sets herself on the living room couch. She unloads a dozen cans of Gamer Fuel energy drinks onto the coffee table. She turns on the Amusement Station, plugs in her controller, and puts on her headset as Battle Battle Footy Kick 2 starts loading. She’s ready.

            “Hey, Gaz,” Dib says as he walks in. “What are you doing?”

            She groans, “I’m getting ready for the Battle Battle Footy Kick 2 tournament.”

            “Oh, cool,” he smiles, “can I watch?”

            “Why aren’t you out with Zim?” she asks sceptically.

“He’s busy,” he replies, “he didn’t wanna hang out today.”

Gaz growls, “fine, you can watch. But if you screw me up, I will destroy you.”

            “Cool,” Dib chimes and sits next to her.

            “So what kind of game is this?” he asks.

            “It is an open-world fighting game,” she replies, “basically players are set up in a large, space- a city, a forest, a field- and must face off against their opponents. There are hidden power-ups and traps all over the area. Because the space is so wide, one battle can take multiple hours to finish. The tournament is much harder since I’ll be facing actual people online instead of just NPCs.”

            “Players can either choose the fighters supplied to you by the game or create their own avatar. I created my own avatar,” she explains proudly as she shows off her character, Piggy Claw. She’s tall, muscular, armored-up, and dangerous looking.

            “Are there different classes?” Dib asks.

            “Of course. There’s warrior, hunter, and mage. Warriors are stronger and more melee based, hunters are ranged based, and mages revolve more around spells. Mine’s a warrior.”

            “How come you’ve never entered the tournament before?”

            “I wanted to wait until I knew I could win,” Gaz states, “which is now.”

            She scrolls through the online menu until she sees ‘Enter Tournament.’ She hits okay and a loading bar pops up. They wait a few minutes. When the bar is finally full, the screen changes to a large list of names and a booming voice sounds from the speakers.

            “Welcome, players, to the third annual Battle Battle Footy Kick 2 Tournament! Allow me to explain the rules for all newcomers.”

            “The tournament is set up just as the name would suggest. Two players are to face off in a random stage. Last one standing moves up a rung. Whoever makes it to the end is the champion and wins the prize money, along with bragging rights among the gaming community.”

            “However, first we must have a preliminary round. All players face off in a free-for-all round. Last sixteen players alive win and move onto the tournament. Please wait while the round fully loads.”

            A pop-up suddenly appears on screen reading ‘Vampire Hunter requests a private chat.’

            “Vampire Hunter?” Gaz questions then growls, “Iggins.”

            She accepts. A little icon appears in the corner of a speaker with a circle around, indicating a private chat. Iggins voice rings through the speakers.

            “Piggy Claw. Gaz, I presume?”

            “Iggins,” she hisses, “what do you want?”

            “I wasn’t expecting you to actually enter the tournament. I thought you were all talk. After all, you never did it in the past.”

            “I wanted to wait until my character was undefeatable.”

            “Admirable, I admit. I always had respect for you as an opponent,” Iggins says, “as proof, allow me to give you some advice, since I am a veteran in this tournament.”

            “As I’m sure you’ve already figured, the preliminary round is used to wipe out all of the week noobs. I suggest you avoid any personalized avatar and focus on any players who picked an in-game character. That’s an obvious sign of a noob. After which the tournament will consist of mostly veterans or any first timers who actually stand a chance, like yourself.”

            “You’re a strong player. You’ll stand a pretty fair chance against most of these veterans. However, there is one we all live in fear of. Even me.”

            “She is called Ivory Shutin. She has participated in and won every single tournament for the last three years.”

            “Every single one?” Dib exclaims.

            Gaz eyes the list of participants on screen. She quickly spots Ivory Shutin and clicks it. It opens up a profile of the character. She’s a mage dressed in a robe and hood and holding a staff.

            “A mage? She doesn’t look like much,” Gaz comments.

            “Don’t let her looks fool you,” Iggins warns, “her tactics are very defensive and her attacks are unorthodox. And, like I said, she has won every single tournament. She is a legend.”

            “Well, she won’t win this one,” Gaz declares.  
            “Confident, huh? That’s good. But unfortunately you won’t get the chance to face her. I’ll be taking you out.”

            “You wish,” she growls.

            A pop-up suddenly appears saying, “the preliminary round is ready. Press A to begin.”

            “Good luck, Piggy Claw,” Iggins says before closing their chat. Gaz growls and presses A.

            The list of participants disappears, to be replaced with a large city. Gaz is standing alone, in the alley way between two buildings. The announcer starts talking again.

            “Let the preliminary round begin!”

            Gaz takes out her weapon- a large, spiked club- and starts moving. She walks carefully and cautiously, looking around at all times, keeping an eye out for enemies.

            She notices one quickly. Gamer tag: Bloody Sword. An intimidating name, maybe, but it’s obvious by their use of an in-game character that they are a noob.

            Gaz strikes quickly. The player doesn’t even see her coming before they’re beaten in two hits by her club.

            “Wow!” Dib exclaims.

            Gaz smirks and moves on.

            The preliminary round goes on for about an hour. Gaz finds quite a few noobs and quickly wipes them out. She runs into one or two veterans but they show no interest in her. They’re only looking for noobs as well.

            A bell suddenly rings and the announcer starts speaking again.

            “The preliminary is over! Sixteen players are left standing. Now begins the tournament.”

            The city suddenly disappears and is replaced by the roster again. The list is considerably shorter this time. Gaz immediately notices Vampire Hunter and Ivory Shutin amongst the other gamer tags.

            “The pairings will be randomized,” the announcer explains, “each battle will happen simultaneously so as not to take too much time and also for players to not give away their secrets to their opponents. Please wait while the battles are decided.”

            The names are suddenly mixed up before landing side by side, depending on who’s battling who. Piggy Claw is in the third row battling someone named Blackened Soul. Vampire Hunter is in the first row battling Rage Monster. Ivory Shutin is sixth row battling Psycho Killer. That means Gaz only has to win one two fights to go up against Iggins, and three to go up against Ivory Shutin.

            “This is gonna be easy,” she smirks.

            “Let the tournament begin.”

            Piggy Claw suddenly appears in a large, forested area. She looks around cautiously before she starts moving.

            She ducks behind trees and peeks around carefully before moving on. She has to be careful. She can’t let Blackened Soul get the drop on her. She’d like a sneak attack but going against him on equal ground would fine too.

            Nothing happens for about half an hour. Then Piggy Claw is suddenly hit by an arrow.

            “Shit,” Gaz snarls and rolls behind a tree. She peeks around it and searches for the hunter. When she sees nothing, she runs out of safety before ducking behind another tree. She notices something roll across. She smirks and races towards.

            “Hunter verses warrior seems like an unfair battle,” Dib observes, “the warrior is at a complete disadvantage since the hunter uses ranged weapons.”

            “Yes, but the ranged weapons only work from a certain distance,” Gaz explains, “so the hunter is at a complete disadvantage when the warrior gets him in her range.”

            Piggy Claw suddenly jumps out right behind Blackened Soul. He spins around and tries to load his bow, but fails. Gaz swings her club and hits him hard, dealing quite a bit of damage. Blackened Soul tries to retreat, but Gaz doesn’t let him. She stays on him and beats him hard.

            Blackened Soul produces a potion and heals up. Then he suddenly takes out a bomb. Gaz curses and jumps back to avoid the blast, letting Blackened Soul go in the process. He disappears into the trees, out of Gaz’s range.

            “He’s good,” Gaz growls.

            “Can you beat him?” Dib asks.

            “Of course.”

            She opens her inventory and takes out an invisibility potion. She drinks it and turns invisible, as the name would suggest.

            “Isn’t that kinda cheating?” he asks.

            “A true warrior uses everything at her disposal,” Gaz argues, “besides if it was, it would be against the rules to use it. And it’s not.”

            She moves slowly around the trees, keeping an eye out for the hunter. She spots him squatting behind a tree and sneaks up on him.

            He suddenly spins around and fires an arrow. She exclaims and barely dodges it.

            “He has a tracking ability!” she shouts, “not bad.”

            She drops her invisibility and charges him. He jumps back and keeps firing his arrows. She dodges them and uses a speed boost. She quickly catches up and hits him hard. He rolls to the right and produces a dagger, stabbing her with it. The blade had a freezing enchantment on it. She stops in her tracks.

            “Shit,” she hisses and mashes the buttons.

            Blackened Soul jumps back a few feet then loads an arrow and fires. It hits Piggy Claw, dealing a lot of damage but also breaking the freezing spell. She drinks a healing potion and charges him.

            “I just gotta hit him once,” she mutters, “just once.”

            He jumps back, not letting her out of his range. She goes into her inventory and pulls out a bomb. She throws it at him. He dodges to the right to avoid the blast. She anticipates this and meets him there, right in her range.

            She hits him, dealing just enough damage to kill him. He hits the ground and ‘Winner’ appears on screen, in big, bold letters.

            “Good job,” Dib smiles.

           Gaz sighs, opens a can of Gamer Fuel, and chugs it all in three gulps. She sits back and smiles.

            “Like I said: easy.”

            The player roster opens up again. Now there are only eight names. Vampire Hunter and Ivory Shutin are still in the running.

            “Congratulations to the victors!” the announcer cheers, “the second round will begin momentarily.”

            The tournament graph appears again. Gaz is going up against someone named Risky Fitting.

            “Some of these names are… really odd,” Dib comments.

            “Let round two begin!”

            Piggy Claw appears in a swamp, surrounded by large, dirty lakes and trees. She takes a quick survey of her area before ducking behind some cover.

            She moves quickly but cautiously. She can’t get sneak attacked like last time. It’s too risky. And such an amateur mistake.

            Things are quiet for about ten minutes. Then she glances behind her and sees him: Risky Fitting holding a huge sword, ready to hit her with it.

            Gaz rolls out of the way just in time. She swings her club but he dodges.

            “He’s a warrior,” Gaz observes, “this is gonna be a little hard.”

            The battle lasts much longer than her last did. Their defensive and offensive tactics are similar. They want to beat their opponent but they don’t want to get hit. It’s like watching two cats circle each other in an alley.

            But strategy is clearly at work. Every attack they make, successful or not, has meaning. They test their opponent, checking what they can and can’t handle. Dib can’t help but be amazed at the spectacle before him. It may just be a video game, but it’s being played so tactfully.

            “This has gone on long enough,” Gaz growls, “I’m taking him out.”

            She begins button mashing, but not at random. She knows exactly what buttons she’s pushing and how many times she’s pushing them.

            She opens her inventory and grabs a scroll labeled ‘Speed’. She opens the scroll, giving herself a speed boost. She does three rolls around Risky Fitting until she’s behind him. He tries to turn but she strikes faster, hitting him hard.

            Before he can react, she races around to his back again and hits him a second time. She can’t help but smirk when he hits the ground. She can almost hear the player screaming with frustration.

            But he’s not dead yet and her speed boost just wore off.

            He jumps to his feet and swings at her. Gaz jumps back and dodges. She goes into her inventory again and takes out a bomb. She throws it at him. He dodges the explosion and races towards her. Gaz growls when she notices the state of his health bar. He used a healing potion.

            “Gotta use my secret technique,” she mutters.

            She mashes a series of buttons. Piggy Claw lifts her club to the sky and it suddenly multiplies into a dozen clubs. They circle Risky Fitting before hitting him all at once. He couldn’t dodge even if he wanted to.

            Gaz giggles victoriously when ‘Winner’ appears on screen.

            “Wow! That was so cool!” Dib cheers.

            “This tournament is in the bag,” Gaz smirks.

            “Congratulations, victors!” the announcer cheers as the roster appears again. Now there are only four players. “The semi-finals are next. And after that, the final battle. Prepare yourselves. This is where things get hard.

            Gaz stares at the tournament graph, particularly who she’s battling next. A pop-up suddenly appears reading, “Vampire Piggy requests a private chat.” She accepts.

            “The semi-finals,” he says, “seems fitting, no?”

            “Indeed,” Gaz smirks, “this will decide once and for all who between is the ultimate gamer.”

            “Yes. As well as who is worthy enough to go up against Ivory Shutin. Unfortunately for you, the answer to both is me.”

            “I am going to crush that confidence with my bat!” Gaz snaps.

            “Bring it, scrub!” Iggins barks.

            The chat is closed as the announcer shouts, “let the semi-finals begin!”

            Piggy Claw appears in a city. She immediately ducks in the shadows of a building. She stays perfectly still for a minute before moving. She doesn’t want to admit it, but Iggins will definitely be harder than her last two battles. She has to be careful. She cannot let that little bug-eyed creep beat her.

            She moves cautiously, rolling between shadows and jogging around buildings. She makes extra sure to check all of her blind spots. That little runt will not get the drop on her.

            She sees it when she’s circling the camera around her character: an arrow flying from the right.

            Gaz acts quickly and immediately rolls out of the way, just barely dodging it. She ducks behind a building and looks in the direction the arrow came from. She doesn’t see anything.

            Piggy Claw is suddenly struck with an arrow in the shoulder. Gaz curses and rolls away. She downs a healing potion and looks around.

            “Little troll must have a speed effect or something,” she hisses, “an invisibility potion would be a bad idea. He probably has a tracking ability. I’ll try this instead.”

            She opens her inventory and goes to a scroll labeled ‘clones’. She selects in and suddenly four different Piggy Claws appear. They move off in different directions. Gaz only had control of one. She moves subtly while keeping an eye out for her opponent.

            “Look!” Dib exclaims as he points at the TV screen, or more specifically at the top of a building on the TV screen.

            “I see him,” Gaz growls. She rolls to the side of the building and climbs a nearby ladder. Before she reaches the top, she notices a bomb planted on the wall. She activates and jumps onto the roof before it goes off. The explosion makes for a nice effect when she meets Vampire Hunter.

            Gaz attacks immediately, swinging her club right at his head. He dodges and pulls out a dagger. He tries to slice her with it but she rolls out of the way, landing on his left. She grabs a bomb and throws it at him. He jumps back to dodge and then to the right to make sure he doesn’t fall off the roof.

            Gaz rushes him and swings her club. He ducks and attacks her with his knife. She sidesteps him and swings again. He rolls forward and produces a bomb. He throws it at her. She jumps out of the way. It falls over the edge and blows up harmlessly on the ground below.

            “You guys are like evenly matched,” Dib comments.

            Gaz growls. She does the code for her secret technique, producing a dozen clubs. It’s clear Iggins isn’t ready for it when they all strike them. Gaz smirks. But he’s not dead yet. As soon as the other clubs had disappeared, she charges him. Before she can reach him though, Piggy Claw suddenly freezes. Gaz curses when she realizes she just ran into a freezing trap.

            Vampire Hunter jumps back until he’s at the very edge of the roof, just far enough in range for him to use his bow. He loads an arrow and shoots it at Piggy Claw. Gaz can only watch as she’s struck with it. It’s not enough to kill her but it does deal a lot of damage.

            “Shit,” she hisses, “I only have one more healing potion. I can’t use it now. I have to save it for Ivory Shutin. I have to finish this quickly.”

            With the freezing trap dispelled, Piggy Claw immediately rolls out of the way before she can be hit with another arrow. She charges Vampire Hunter and swings her club. He dodges it and throws a bomb. She hops back and dodges the blast. As soon as it’s no longer a threat, she charges him again. He tries to dodge, but stops when he realizes he’s right on the edge.

            Gaz smirks and swings her club. She hits him in the side, dealing quite a bit of damage and sending him flying off the edge.

            The fall will be enough to kill him, but he’s not done yet. Vampire Hunter loads an arrow and fires it. Gaz doesn’t see it coming and it hits Piggy Claw in the leg, causing her to fall over the edge too.

            “No!” Gaz snaps. She rapidly opens her inventory and selects a levitation scroll. Piggy Claw immediately starts floating just over the ground, right next to Vampire Hunter’s corpse.  
            Gaz smirks as ‘Winner’ appears on screen.

            “Congratulations, victors!” the announcer cheers, “now is the moment we’ve all been waiting for: the final battle!”

            “Good job,” Dib smiles.

            Gaz chuckles when ‘Vampire Piggy requests a private chat’ appears on screen. She accepts.

            “A levitation scroll? What sort of cheap trick is that?”

            “A true warrior and gamer uses everything at her disposal,” Gaz says, “don’t blame me just because you didn’t have the foresight to buy one.”

            “Very well, you beat me,” Iggins sighs, “but don’t think you’ll be able to beat Ivory Shutin. You’re good, but not that good.”

            “Just watch me. I’ll be the new champion of this tournament. You’ll see,” she smirks.

            The chat closes as the announcer says, “let the final battle begin!”

           Piggy Claw appears in a large empty field filled with nothing but grass. It’s dark and ominous. A perfect scene for a final battle.

            “Alright, Ivory Shutin,” Gaz growls, “show me what you got.”

            Unlike the other battles, it doesn’t take her opponent very long to show up. The second Gaz turns around, she’s immediately face to face with Ivory Shutin. Gaz isn’t expecting it and she quickly jumps back, anticipating an attack. But she does nothing.

            “What is she doing?” Gaz asks.

            “I think she wants you to make the first move,” Dib replies.

            “She’s testing me!” Gaz snaps.

            Piggy Claw charges her and swings her club. Ivory Shutin doesn’t move to dodge. Instead she lets herself get hit. She loses about a quarter of her health.

            “What’s her game?” Dib questions.

            Ivory Shutin suddenly shoots a spell right at Piggy Claw. Gaz exclaims and rolls out of the way, just barely dodging it, but another one is there to meet her. It hits her hard, dealing quite a bit of damage.

            Gaz growls and charges Ivory Shutin again. She swings and once again, Shutin make no move to dodge. But instead of hitting her, Piggy Claw hits a barrier instead.

            Ivory Shutin fires another spell, hitting Piggy Claw a second time. Gaz curses and quickly drinks her last healing potion. She immediately charges the mage for a third time, swinging quickly and violently. All she hits is the barrier, but if she beats it enough, it’ll break down.

            Shutin fires another spell. This time Gaz is prepared for it and dodges. She quickly does the code for her secret technique, summoning her clubs. They attack Ivory Shutin but only hit the barrier. Fortunately the force breaks it.

            Gaz smirks and rushes her. She swings her club but Ivory Shutin dodges it and fires a spell. Piggy Claw jumps out of the way and tries to attack again. Shutin doesn’t dodge but the club goes right through her, not dealing any damage. She suddenly disappears and reappears behind Piggy Claw.

            “A teleportation spell!” Gaz snaps.

            She tries to roll out of the way before Shutin can fire another spell. But this time her attack is different. Inside of just a beam, she unleashes a huge wall of magic. Piggy Claw has no hope to dodge.

            It hits hard and deals a lot of damage. She only has a little bit of health left.

            “She’s too strong,” Gaz sighs, “I can’t win. But I can at least take her with me!”

            Piggy Claw charges Ivory Shutin, producing a bomb along the way. She detonates it without throwing it, so they both get caught in the blast. It kills Piggy Claw instantly. But instead of ‘Tie’ appearing on screen, ‘Loser’ does instead.

            The last thing Gaz sees before the screen fades to black is Ivory Shutin standing before her body with less than a quarter of health left.

            “Congratulations, Ivory Shutin!” the announcer cheers, “you are the winner of the Battle Battle Footy Kick 2 tournament!”

            Gaz stares with disbelief as Ivory Shutin appears on screen under the word ‘Champion.’

            “You lost,” Dib mutters then immediately regrets. He covers his head, thinking Gaz is going to lash out. But she doesn’t. She just keeps staring at the TV.

            “Gaz?” he questions.

            “She beat me,” Gaz breathes, “she beat me. I should be angry but I’m not. I’ve never battled anyone like her. She was so… psychological.”

            “I have to meet her.”

            “What?” Dib questions.

            “Dib!” she snaps, “this was an online tournament. Could you find out where Ivory Shutin lives with the information it supplies you?”

           “Well, sure. It should be easy enough for me to find her IP address or something,” he shrugs.

            “Then do it. Right now!” she demands, “I need to meet her.”

            “Alright, alright,” he says quickly and runs to get his laptop.

            Gaz leans back in the couch and stares at the TV screen. She just stares and watches Ivory Shutin doing her looped battle stance.

            Gaz has no idea where she lives, what she looks like, or how she acts. But she absolutely has to find out.


	18. Fanatics 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pepito and Squee spend the day in the city with some friends. Meanwhile Gaz meets someone new.

The Labyrinth

 

            “Alright, let’s buy what we need and get the hell out of here,” Johnny growls as he walks through the automatic doors.

            “Whatever you say, Nny,” Squee says as he follows close behind.

            Usually, Squee does all the shopping at a convenience store a few blocks from their house. But whenever they need something heavy, like milk or other things that Squee would have trouble carrying, then Johnny drives them to the South Superstore and they do the shopping together. Johnny kinda hates it, but as long as he’s with Squee than it’s tolerable.

            They wander around the grocery section. Squee throws milk, cereal, juice, and other food stuffs into the cart. Just the usual stuff they always have in the house. But once they reach the produce, he draws to a stop and stares at the fruit.

            “We should get some fruit,” he says, “we don’t eat enough healthy things. Especially you. Would you eat it for breakfast if I got some?”

            “Maybe,” Johnny shrugs.

            Squee glares at him.

            “What? Oh, come on. Fruit’s not even that fun to eat,” he whines.

            “Fruit can be totally fun,” Squee argues and picks up an odd red, spiky looking thing. “Look at this. It’s a dragon fruit. A dragon fruit, Nny! How is that not awesome?”

            “It’s pretty awesome,” he nods.

            “Right? I’ll get us two,” he says as he puts two in a plastic bag. “And some oranges also.”

            Once they’re done with the fruit, they start to head to the frozen goods, but stop when they hear someone shout, “Squee!”

            They turn around to a teenage girl, about Squee’s age, with brown pigtails and green eyes. Squee smiles when he recognizes her. “Carmen. Hey.”

            She smiles back, “it’s good to see you.”  
            “Johnny, you remember Carmen, right?” Squee asks, “she was one of the kids that escaped the Underground Classrooms with me. Remember?”

            Johnny rubs his head as he thinks really hard. “I remember the classrooms. I don’t remember her.”

            Carmen cocks her head and Squee sighs. “Don’t mind him. So what are you doing here?”

            “I moved here. Er, I mean not to the store,” she says quickly, “I moved to the South End with my dad. He was pretty tight on money when I found him and when he took me back in we couldn’t afford to stay in the North End. I don’t mind though. It’s like a whole new start, you know?”

            “That is why most people move to the South End,” Squee nods.

            “I was going to call you but I’ve been so busy with the move and going back to school. It’s been so exhausting,” she groans.

            “How long have you been here?” he asks.

            “About a week,” she replies, “our apartment is finally set up. We were just getting some shopping done.”

            “Well, I’ve lived here my whole life- er, the South End, not the store,” Squee says, “so if you need any help, just let me know.”

            “Actually, I don’t really know my way around that well,” she sighs, “I barely know how to get to my school. So could you maybe show me around a bit?”

            “Yeah,” he smiles, “um do you mind if I bring some others along?”

            “Not at all. I really need to make some new friends.”

            “Then Pepito can come too. Oh, and Colton.”

            “Colton?” she questions.

            “He’s a new friend of mine. He’s really cool,” he beams.

            “That’s debatable,” Shmee comments, “by the way, Johnny’s gone.”

            “What?” Squee exclaims and spins around. The cart is still here, but Johnny is nowhere to be seen.

            “What’s wrong?” Carmen asks.

            “Johnny’s gone,” he replies, “unbelievable. I need to get him like a leash or something.”

            “This happens a lot?”

            “You have no idea,” he smiles wearily, “um, but we can hang out later today if you want.”

            “Yeah. How about you guys meet me at my place at like noon?” she suggests.

            “Sure. Here, write down your address,” he says as he hands her a pen and piece of paper.

            “Okay.” She quickly scribbles it down and hands it back to him.

            “Thanks. Alright, see you later,” he waves before quickly walking away.

            “See you,” she calls back.

            Squee quickly hurries through the store with the cart and looks around for Johnny. He finally finds him on the other side of the store in the electronics. He appears to be looking at a pair of expensive walkie-talkies.

            “Johnny,” Squee growls.

            “Oh, hey, Squee,” Johnny says.

            “What have I told you about wandering off like that?” he snaps.          

            Johnny considers the question. “Not to?”

            “Yes, for crying out loud,” Squee groans.

            “Are we done shopping now?” he asks.

            “Yeah,” he sighs.

            “Good. Let’s go,” he demands as he takes the cart and walks off. “I’m buying these walkie-talkies.”

            “What? Why?” Squee asks.

            “Because,” Johnny replies.

            Squee just sighs and follows him.

            Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, Gaz is a girl with a mission. She marches down the street, a piece of paper held tightly in her fist.

            The day before, she participated in the Battle Battle Footy Kick 2 tournament and lost to a player called Ivory Shutin. Instead of getting angry, like she usually would, she felt determined to meet this person. So she got Dib to trace her IP address. It’s quite coincidental and serendipitous that she happens to live in the city, only a few minutes away.

            What is she going to do when she meets this person? She’s not sure. She’s not even sure of what to expect. But the way they fought was so… unique. She just has to see them.

            It doesn’t take her long to reach the house. It’s a small but nice place with a decorated front yard. It’s clearly a family home.

            Gaz double checks the address written on the paper before walking up to the front door.

            She rings the doorbell. A few seconds later a middle aged woman answers. She looks at Gaz curiously.

            “Uh, hello,” Gaz says, “I’m looking for someone. Um, their gamer tag is Ivory Shutin…?”

            “Who are you?” the woman asks.

            “My name is Gaz,” she replies, “I participated in a gamer tournament and Ivory Shutin beat me. I wanted to meet them in person.”

            The woman stares at her for a second before turning away. “Wait here,” she orders as she walks into the house.

            She comes back a few minutes later, accompanied by a girl not much older than Gaz. She has long, messy black hair that hangs over her face. Her glasses are just barely visible behind her thick bangs. She’s very pale and is wearing plain pants and a thick sweater. She looks at Gaz curiously.

            “Are you Ivory Shutin?” Gaz asks. The girl nods. “My name is Gaz. Oh, but you know me as Piggy Claw. You beat me in the tournament yesterday. I just wanted to meet you in person.”

            “How did you find my daughter?” the woman asks accusingly.

            “Mom, it’s fine,” the girl says, “she can come in.”

            “Alright, but let me know if something goes wrong,” the woman demands before walking away.

            “Gaz, right?” the girl questions. Gaz nods. Her voice is quiet and meek. “I’m Madeleine. What did you want to see me about?”

            “I’m not really sure,” Gaz replies.

            Madeleine stares at her for a second before nodding. “Come in. We can talk in my room.”

            “Thank you,” Gaz says quickly before following her into the house.

            Meanwhile, Squee, Colton, and Pepito are walking through the streets, looking around for Carmen’s address. It’s been over a week since Colton and Squee became ‘bros’. Squee introduced him to Pepito not long ago. They get along well enough to hang out.

            “So this Carmen… is she hot?” Colton asks.

            “I don’t know. What qualifies a person as hot?” Squee asks.

            “The way their face looks, their hair, boob size,” he replies, “Pepito, what do you think?”

            “I think she’s cute,” he says, “so she probably won’t go for you.”

            “What? You don’t know that,” Colton growls, “she might.”

            They make it to Carmen’s apartment building. She’s sitting on the front steps. She smiles and stands up when she spots the boys.

            “Squee, Pepito,” she chimes.

            “Hey, Carmen,” Pepito smiles, “you look good.”

            “Thanks, you too. I like your beanie,” she smiles back then looks at Colton. “You’re Colton, right?”

            “Uh, yeah,” he smiles, “it’s nice to meet you.”

            “You too.”

            “So where should we go?” Squee asks.

            “We should go downtown,” Pepito suggests, “nothing better to show to a newcomer than downtown South End.”

            “But there are always a lot of people around there,” Squee groans.

            “Aw, you’ll be fine as long as you’re with us, right?” Pepito smiles.

            “You two are so cute,” Carmen coos.

            “I know, right?” Pepito smirks.

            Downtown South End is full of different shops, clubs, and bars. There’s always something going on, whether it’s fun and legal or… not. It’s always glowing with colourful lights and loud from the chatter of civilians, most of whom aren’t sober.

            Pepito likes it here. He loves watching all the people and listening to the pounding music from the clubs. Colton likes it too. There are all kinds of cool shops. Squee doesn’t like it. He would rather stay as far away from here as possible.

            “Let’s go to the Orc’s Nest,” Colton exclaims excitedly.

            “No, don’t make Carmen go in there,” Pepito groans.

            “Why, what is it?” she asks.

            “Freaking nerd heaven,” he replies, “we should go to Lemon Yellow.”

            “Lemon Yellow? That place is full of pretentious, wannabe hipsters,” Colton scoffs.

            “What are these names?” Carmen questions.

            “Orc’s Nest is a comic book store and Lemon Yellow is a clothing store,” Squee replies, “you should decide where we go based on first impressions. You’re the one who wants to see the sights or whatever.”

            “Yeah, I guess that makes sense,” Pepito nods.

             “Okay,” Carmen smiles and looks around. “What’s that place?” She points at a large building with bright lights streaming through the windows.

            “A club,” Squee replies, “minors aren’t allowed in there.”

            “Hm,” she muses, “what about that?”

            “That’s a café. We can go in there.”

            “Yeah, but why would we want to,” Colton scoffs, “nothing but self-important snobs in there.”

            “Okay, we can’t just shoot a place down because of the regulars that go there,” Squee says, “we’re supposed to show Carmen around, not tell her about all the terrible people that live here.”

            “Right, right,” Pepito nods, “how about we pick a random place and just go in?”

            “That sounds good,” Carmen smiles.

            Pepito stands in front of the group, closes his eyes, and spins around with his finger out. He stops and points at a random business.

            “Always Teen?” Carmen questions.

            “A clothing store,” Colton says.

            “Let’s go in,” Squee shrugs.

            The group walks through the door and looks around. It’s full of designer, over-priced clothes aimed towards teenagers. The customers are all people about their age. They’re all dressed the same and have near the same hairstyle.

            “I think this is where clones are created,” Squee comments.

            “I can practically feel my individuality being drained,” Pepito says.

            “Let’s go somewhere else,” Colton begs, “I go to school with some of these people.”

            “Aw, come on, guys,” Carmen smiles, “we promised we’d go into a random store. Let’s at least look at some of the clothes.”       

            “Fine,” the boys groan and follow her deeper into the store.

            They examine the racks with no real interest. The clothes aren’t their style plus they are way too expensive. Even for a South End store.

            “Is this really considered fashionable?” Squee asks, “why would someone buy jeans with holes in them? I could put holes in my jeans for free.”

            “It’s supposed to give a rebellious look,” Carmen replies, “lots of people are into that thing.”

            “Lame,” Pepito groans, “let’s go get food.”

            “Yeah, that sounds good,” Colton says and quickly leaves. The others follow close behind.

            They walk around for a bit before deciding on a café that’s mostly empty. They sit down at a small table and order drinks and sandwiches. Carmen laughs when Squee and Colton both stutter while ordering.

            “It’s not funny,” Colton pouts.

            “Sorry, sorry,” she says, “I didn’t mean to laugh. It just slipped out.”

            They both glare at her. She just keeps laughing.

            After they eat they continue to wander around. They don’t go into any of the stores. They just walk along the street, talking and enjoying each other’s company. Eventually they stop paying attention to where they’re going.

            “We’ve kind of wandered away from Main Street,” Squee says as he looks around.

            “Eh, it was boring there anyway,” Pepito shrugs.

            “Hey, look at that empty lot,” Colton says. They stop and stare at the little empty space between two apartment buildings. It looks so out of place and random. They cock their heads and sigh.

            “Isn’t it weird how things can just disappear in this city?” Carmen asks, “even buildings go away without a trace.”

            “I don’t even remember what used to be here,” Squee says, “it must’ve been an apartment building, right?”

            “Why do you think it was taken down?” Colton asks.

            “Safety reasons maybe,” Pepito replies as he walks onto the lot.

            “It’s so eerie,” Squee comments as they follow him aimlessly.

            “I like it,” Carmen smiles, “it’s kind of calming.”

            They all wince at a loud cracking sound.

            “The feelings gone,” she mutters.

            “What was that?” Colton asks.

            They start to step back to the road when they hear it again. They freeze and everything seems to stand still for a second.

            Then the ground collapses beneath their feet.

            They scream as they plummet through a deep, dark hole. They land hard on dirt and groan in pain.

            “Ugh, what the hell just happened?” Pepito asks.

            “The ground gave out beneath us,” Squee replies, “they should’ve put up a sign or something for that.”

            “Where are we?” Carmen asks.

            They stand up, rubbing their sore bruises, and looks around. They’re in some kind of large, dark tunnel. The only lighting is coming from the huge hole high above them.

            “Didn’t we already do a trapped underground bit?” Pepito asks.

            “We’re not exactly trapped,” Carmen argues, “the way out is right above us. We just gotta, you know, fly.”

            “Stranger things have happened,” Squee shrugs.

            “I haven’t been trapped underground before,” Colton says.

            “Yeah, that’s right,” Squee nods.

            “Well, then welcome to the club,” Pepito smirks, “we’re old pros at this kind of thing.”

            “We should probably get somebody to come help us,” Carmen suggests.

            “Yeah, alright,” he nods and takes out his phone. “I’ll call Zim.”

            “I don’t know if he’ll pick up,” Squee says, “Dib mentioned something about today being their ‘date night’.”

            “Oh, you know what that means,” Colton sings, “interspecies make-out session.”

            “You know, Zim’s tongue is kind of serpentine,” Pepito comments, “I wonder how that feels.”

            “Serpentine? What, like a snake tongue?” Carmen asks.

            “More like a tentacle,” Squee says.

            “Ew, isn’t that like borderline tentacle rape?”

            “It’s not really rape if it’s consensual,” Colton points out.

            “Okay, we are getting way off topic,” Squee says quickly, “call Zim. I’m gonna try calling Johnny.”

            They hit the speed dials on their phones and hold them up to their ears. As expected, Zim doesn’t answer. He’s too busy having an interspecies make-out session with Dib. Unfortunately, Johnny doesn’t answer either.

            “He must be downstairs,” Squee sighs.

            “Now what?” Colton asks.

            “I’m gonna try Gaz,” Pepito says, “she could at least get Zim.”

            He calls her and she picks up. But before he can even get a word in she says, “can’t talk. Doing something important,” then hangs up.

            “I think we need some new friends,” Pepito groans.

            “Squee, can’t you call Devi or Tenna?” Colton asks.

            “Mmm,” Squee groans uncertainly, “they’re both working. I don’t wanna bother them unless we’re in some actual, life threatening danger.”

            “Being trapped underground isn’t life threatening danger?” Pepito asks.

            “Like you said, we’re old pros at this,” Squee smiles, “these kinds of tunnels are all over underneath the city. It’s like a whole labyrinth. And there are entrances everywhere. There’s even one in my house.”

            “Are you suggesting we look for one?” Carmen asks.

            “What if we get even more lost?” Colton warns, “we could end up trapped down we forever.”

            “That won’t happen,” Pepito scoffs, “I think Squee’s right. Looking for a way out would be better than just sitting around doing nothing.”

            “Alright,” Carmen shrugs, “so which way should we go?”

            “This way,” Squee says immediately as he points to the right.

            “Why that way?” Colton asks.

            “I have a good feeling about it.”

            The kids shrug and they walk into the dark tunnel, having no idea where they’re going.

            Back on the North End, Gaz follows Madeleine into her bedroom. It’s pretty dark because the shades are closed. Madeleine turns on the light. Her room is actually pretty full. It’s got a messy bed, a beanbag chair, an electronic keyboard piano, and a large TV hooked up to an Amusement Station and a Z-Hexahedron. Next to it are three DVD stands full of video games.

            “Cool,” Gaz breathes.

            “Sit wherever you like,” Madeleine says as she sits on the bed. Gaz takes her place on the beanbag.

            There’s an awkward silence in the air before Gaz clears her throat.

            “So, Ivory Shutin; Madeleine,” she says, “you’re really good. You must play a lot.”

            “Yeah,” she nods.

            “You’re pretty feared during the tournament. I heard about you beforehand from this guy I know, Iggins.”

            “Iggins?”

            “His gamer tag is Vampire Hunter.”

            “Oh, yeah. I remember him. I battled him a couple times. He was pretty good.”

            “I beat him,” Gaz says proudly.

            “Yes. You’re a good player too.”

            “Not good enough to beat you.”

            Madeleine doesn’t reply.

            “How did you get to be so good?”

            “I play a lot.”

            “So do I. I even trained my avatar for the sole purpose of beating that tournament. And I still lost,” Gaz points out.

            “I don’t understand. Are you here for pointers?” Madeleine asks.

            “I’m not really sure. Maybe? It’s just… your fighting style was so unique. I’ve never fought someone like you before. It was affecting me on a psychological level. I just felt like I needed to meet you.”  

            Gaz stares at her for a few seconds. Her hair is covering so much of her face she can’t tell where she’s looking. Is she staring at the floor, or at Gaz?

            Her cell phone suddenly starts ringing. She checks the caller ID. It’s Pepito. She answers and says, “can’t talk. Doing something important,” then hangs up.

            She sits next to Madeleine on the bed. She looks at her with surprise.

            “Where do you go to school?” Gaz asks.

            “Uh the High Skool,” she replies.

            “Really? Me too. How come I’ve never seen you there before?”

            “I-I don’t know.”

            “What grade are you in?”

            “Ninth.”

            “Same as my brother,” Gaz comments, “you play piano. How long have you done that?”

            “A few years.”

            “Are you good?”

            “Uh I like to think so.”

            “Would you play for me?”

            “Um n-no…?”

            “Why do you sound uncertain?”

            “Wh-why are you asking me so many questions?” she asks nervously

            “I wanna get to know you,” Gaz replies, “I want us to be friends.”

            “Why?”

            “Don’t know. Because I find you interesting maybe?”

            “But we don’t even know each other,” Madeleine points out.

            “That’s why I’m asking you so many questions,” Gaz says, “why don’t you ask me some.”

            “Uh, o-okay,” she nods, “uh what’s your favourite game?”

            “Vampire Piggy Hunter,” she replies, “what about you?”

            “Land of Taria.”

            “That’s a good game.”

            “I-I really like the art and music,” she says, “um do you like music?”

            “A little bit. I like rock.”   

            “Me-me too.”

            “Can I call you Maddie?” Gaz asks.

            “Wh-Why?” Madeleine asks.

            “Madeleine seems kind of hard to say all the time. And it’s hard to type,” she replies.

            “Type?”

            “Never mind. Just can I?”

            “Uh, um, okay,” Maddie nods.

            “Cool,” Gaz smiles, “so at Skool, where do you usually eat? I’ve never seen you in the cafeteria.”

            “Um, the boiler room,” she replies.

            “Isn’t that where all the losers hang out?”

            “Um…”

            “Whatever,” Gaz grunts and stands up, “tomorrow you should come to the cafeteria and eat with my friends and me.”

            “Your friends?” Maddie questions.

            “Yeah. They’re a bunch of idiots but they’re not so bad,” she shrugs, “anyway, I think I’ve bothered you enough. I’ll leave you alone now. Thank you for meeting me. I can let myself out. See you tomorrow.”

            “B-Bye,” Maddie waves as Gaz leaves.

            A few minutes later, Maddie’s mom walks in.

            “Who was that girl?” she asks, “was she rude to you?”

            “No,” Maddie replies and she opens the drawer on her nightstand. “She was nice.”

            “What are you doing?”

            “Looking for this,” she says as she grabs her Game Slave 3 and Vampire Piggy Hunter game. “It’s been a long time since I played it.”

            Her mom sighs and leaves. Maddie turns on the game and smiles.

            Meanwhile, Squee, Pepito, Colton, and Carmen have spent a long time walking through the dark, seemingly endless tunnels. They’re not sure how long they’ve been down there. Minutes? Hours? Days maybe? Okay, probably not days, but it has been a long time.

            Pepito is walking up front with a flashlight. Squee is right behind him, using a marker to mark the walls, so they can be sure they’re not going in circles.

            Whenever they come to an intersection they always go by Squee’s instincts. He’s not really sure where they’re going, but they have nothing else to rely on.

            They haven’t run into any other living creature. Not even rats. It’s completely lifeless down here.

            “Guys,” Carmen mutters, “I don’t wanna be negative here, but what will we do if we can’t find our way out?”

            “We will,” Squee states.

            “How can you be sure?”

            “Because I don’t sense any danger.”

            “What?”

            “I don’t know how to explain it,” Squee says, “but I just feel like we’re safe right now. So we’ll probably find a way out eventually.”

            “Probably? Eventually?” Carmen questions.

            “Being negative will get us nowhere,” Colton points out, “Squee knows what he’s doing.”

            “I know,” Carmen sighs, “I just don’t want another Underground Classrooms situation to happen to us.”

            “It won’t. We’ll be fine,” Pepito says.

            The tunnel starts curving right up ahead. They follow it and continue walking, when Squee suddenly stops and looks at the wall.

            “Wait a minute. We’ve been here before!” he exclaims.

            “What?” the others shout.

            “Look, I made this marking,” he says as he points at the little line on the wall.

            “So that means we’re going in circle,” Colton cries.

            “But that doesn’t make any sense,” Pepito groans, “with the directions we took, we couldn’t have ended up in an old tunnel. Unless we’re just completely turned around.”

            “What does your danger meter say now, Squee?” Carmen asks.

            He looks around nervously, clutching Shmee to his chest. “I have a very bad feeling.”

            “Alright, everybody calm down,” Pepito demands, “we’ll just go back.”

            They take a deep breath and follow Pepito through the last tunnel. They come to an intersection. They take a left and stop abruptly.

            “No way,” Colton whimpers.

            “It’s that same mark!” Carmen exclaims as she points at the wall.

            “That can’t be right,” Squee squeaks, “how could we come back to this tunnel?”

           “Okay, okay. Let’s just go down this tunnel then,” Pepito suggests. They nod and follow him.

            They walk quietly, their nerves completely shot. What if they’re totally lost? What if they never make it out?

            They stop when they see the tunnel starts angling downwards.

            “It didn’t go down before, did it?” Carmen asks.

            “Look at the wall,” Squee exclaims, “there are no markings anymore.”

            “Something weird is going on,” Colton mutters.

            “Let’s keep going,” Pepito grunts.

            They go deeper into the tunnel, the darkness threatening to swallow them up if it wasn’t for their trusty flashlight.

            Which suddenly turns off.

            “Pepito!” Squee squeals.

            “Shit. It must be out of batteries,” Pepito growls as he tries to flick it on and off.

            “Oh no. We’re gonna die down here,” Carmen whimpers.

            “We’re not going to die. Everybody just needs to stay calm and stay together,” Pepito demands.

            “What do we do now?” Colton asks.

            “We gotta keep moving.”

            “But we’re going deeper underground,” Carmen points out.

            “Pepito’s right,” Squee says, “we can’t just stand around.”

            Carmen sighs and nods, “fine. Let’s go.”

            They start to walk when they suddenly hear a loud cracking sound.

            “What was that?” Colton asks.

            “Oh no,” Squee sighs.

            The ground collapses beneath their feet. They scream as they plummet into the deep, dark hole.

            This fall lasts much longer than the previous one. To the point where it almost seems pointless to scream for so long. But they hit ground eventually.

            They groan loudly in pain as they sit up.

            “Anyone dead?” Pepito asks.

            “No,” they reply.

            “Any broken bones?”  
            “No.”

            “Good,” he sighs, “now nobody move. Let me find you.”

            Pepito crawls on his hands and knees and feels around for the others. His hand suddenly brushes against a crack in the floor. He stops and runs his finger along it. It’s thin, smooth, and circular like some kind of door.

            “Hey, guys, I found something,” he announces, “come to me.”

            Squee, Colton, and Carmen crawl along the floor, following the sound of Pepito’s voice until they meet up together.

            “What did you find?” Squee asks.

            “I think it’s a door,” Pepito replies, “help me open it.”

            They all start pushing on it. It starts to slowly give away. One more big shove forces it open, unleashing an extremely bright light. They exclaim with surprise and cover their eyes.

            When their eyes have adjusted, they look through the doorway. Wherever it leads, it’s bright and completely blue.

            “What is it?” Carmen asks.

            “I don’t know,” Colton replies.

            “Let’s find out,” Pepito smirks.

            They stand up and jump through the hole.

            They exclaim with surprise when the fall doesn’t last nearly as long as they thought it would. The door closes behind them and they land right on it. Instead of falling down, they seem to have fallen up.

            “What just happened?” Carmen asks. They look around and realize they’re in the middle of a street, surrounded by buildings. They’re back in the city.

            “But-but how?” Colton stammers, “we-we fell down. We were deep underground. How-how could we have fallen up? How did we end up on the surface? And where’s the door?”

            Pepito looks at the road they just fell through and sees nothing but pavement. No door.

            Squee sighs and lies down on the road. “I give up.”

            After they get over the shock, they stand up and walk each other home.

            “Sorry this turned into a troublesome fiasco, Carmen,” Squee says.

            “Aw that’s okay,” she smiles, “it was… exciting. And I learned a lot about our city. We should hang out again. But maybe at somebody’s house.”

            “That sounds good,” Pepito sighs.

            They drop off Carmen at her apartment and then Pepito at his house. It doesn’t take Squee and Colton long to make it back home after that. They wave goodnight to each other as they go through their front doors.

            “I’m back,” Squee calls.

            “Hey,” Johnny says, “how was it?”

            Squee sighs and falls onto the couch, resting his head on Nny’s lap. “Exhausting. But I still had fun.”

            “Did something interesting happen?” he asks.

            “Does something interesting ever not happen?”

            Johnny cocks his eyebrow and shrugs, “I’ll take that as a yes.”


	19. Fanatics 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a day in the life of a young boy named Johnny.

Fragments of a Past Reality- Place to Stay

 

            A young Johnny C walked down the street, his head held high and his blanket flowing behind him like a cape. Passersby glare at him but he doesn’t mind. He doesn’t even notice. His mind is too busy thinking about more important things.

            _Okay. Food and water are probably the most important things. But those are easy enough to steal. The hard part is finding a place to live. I can’t rent a legitimate house or anything like that. So I’m going to have to find a place to stay. Preferably an empty building that nobody would care about. That would make the South End my best bet._

He sighed, “that’s a long walk. But it’s not like I don’t have the time.”

            So with a general destination in mind, he set off. This city is split into two sides: the North End- the ‘rich’ side- and the South End- the ‘poor’ side. Johnny had grown up in the North End and had never even been to the South End. He heard plenty of rumours but never thought much of it. He never cared much for gossip.

            The South End would probably be safer for him than the North End since he was still wanted by the police. And it seemed like a good place to begin his new life.

            It was still a long ass walk though. But it gave him plenty of time to make plans.

            “I’m gonna need clothes and some way of washing myself,” he mumbled, “it’s been a long time since I did that. I’m really starting to itch. Oh, a dime,” he cheered as he picked up the coin off the ground. “I bet thrift shops on the South End are super cheap. I can probably buy clothes there.”

            He started to walk by an alley when a pair of hands suddenly grabbed him and pulled him into the shadows. An ugly man held him up against the wall. He pulled out a switchblade and snarled. Probably a mugger.

            Johnny growled and drove his foot into the man’s stomach. Then he elbowed his chin and kicked him to the ground. Finally he constantly stomped on the man’s head until he wasn’t even twitching.

            “That reminds me,” Johnny grunted, “I need a weapon too.”

            He picked up the man’s switchblade and examined it. It looked cheap but it would do.

            He pocketed the knife and continued walking away.

            Walking to the South End would take Johnny about two days if he went nonstop. But he was young and really malnourished, so he needed lots of breaks. And he also wasn’t comfortable with walking during the night. So when the sun set, he picked the cleanest nearby alley, wrapped himself in his blanket like a little burrito, and slept on the ground.

            But he didn’t really sleep. He was always plagued by nightmares, however lately they’ve gotten worse. He decided they had to do with his insanity, and he would just have to live with it. He had gotten used to the voices in his head over the last few days, he could get used to the nightmares.

            When the sun started rising, Johnny got up, tied his blanket around his neck, and continued his journey.

            The morning was quiet, with nothing but his growling stomach and the voices to keep him company. But then shops and stores started opening, and he decided he should look for some breakfast.

            He noticed a woman setting up a fruit stand in front of a small grocery store. He waited until she went back inside before rushing forward.

            He tried to grab an armful of oranges. But then bristles from a broom nearly swipe his face. He stumbles back, dropping almost all of the oranges.

            “Get out of here!” the woman barked, swinging her broom around.

            Johnny flinched and raced away, with only one orange. He stopped running when he was a safe distance away and sighed.

            “Damn,” he groaned as he stared at his orange. He was hoping to have more for later. Why did he have to drop all of them?

            He peeled the fruit, threw the peels into a nearby garbage can, and slowly ate the orange as he continued his journey.

            That day was just as uneventful as the previous. Johnny kept moving for as long as he could until he got tired, then he would rest on the ground or a bench for a few minutes. The next day passed almost the same way, the only difference being that Johnny finally reached the South End around noon.

            The difference wasn’t obvious at first, but Johnny noticed it right away. The buildings seemed to lower in quality and there was a slight change in atmosphere.

            Johnny looked around curiously. Other than those minor differences, the South End didn’t seem much like the rumours he heard. It just seemed like a city. Why would North Enders make such a big deal about how awful it is?

            Now that he finally reached his destination, all he had to do was find a place to live. A forgotten or condemned building would be the best; something that could shield him from the weather.

            He walked aimlessly, more intent on exploring than anything else. He was going to live here, he should know his way around.

            Eventually he found his way to Main Street, a long strip of shops, restaurants, and clubs, full of bright lights and lots and lots of people.

            Johnny took one look at it and decided he would stay as far away from here as possible.

            He continued on until he grew exhausted. Then he picked a bench and sat down. It felt good to get off his feet. He snuggled up with his blanket and closed his eyes for a second.

            “Look at this freak.”

            Johnny opened his eyes and looked up at two older teenagers, one boy and one girl. They were probably on a date or something. They both looked at him with disgust.

            “So gross,” the guy grunted

            “Sleeping on the bench like a bum,” the girl scoffed, “what a loser.”

            “What do you know?” Johnny growled.

            “I’m surprised you can actually talk,” the guy laughed.

            “Of course he can. It’s how he begs for money,” the girl snickered.

            They started to walk away, but Johnny didn’t let them get away. He jumped to his feet and kicked the guy hard in the leg. He gasped in pain and fell to the ground. Johnny stomped on his back to make sure he stayed down.

            “Stop! What are you doing?” the girl squealed and tried to grab Johnny. He took out his switchblade and cut her fingers. She screamed and stumbled back. He kicked her in the stomach and she fell to her knees.

            “You don’t know anything about me!” Johnny barks, “you don’t know anything about anyone who is stuck living on the streets! You have no right to judge us! And you never will.”

            He grabbed the girl by her hair, pulled her head back, and sliced through her neck. She started gagging as blood sprayed everywhere. Johnny was unfazed as it splashed onto his face.

            He dropped her to the ground and turned to her boyfriend. He was trying to crawl away. Johnny dropped his foot onto his back, pulled his head up, and sliced his neck too. But halfway through, the blade snapped off the handle and remained embedded in his neck.

            “I knew this thing was junk,” Johnny grunted. He let go of the man, leaving him to drown in his own blood.

            Johnny tossed the handle away and wiped the blood off his face. He stuck his hands in his pants pockets and walked away.

            The rest of his journey was uneventful and not quite as enjoyable as it was before. He was in a bad mood.

            He stopped when he noticed a large building to his left. It was crumbling and old with boarded up windows. It looked like it used to be a parking garage or something.

            Johnny cocked his head and walked up to it. The garage door has been boarded up. Johnny grabbed the boards and teared some off until he could fit through. He slid through the hole and into the darkness of the building.

            It was empty, dark, and drafty. There was no sign of any life, sans some bugs and maybe rats.

            Johnny trudged through the building. He ascended to the third floor and spread out his blanket on the floor. He looked through a hole in a boarded window. He couldn’t see much, but then again there wasn’t much to see.

            This place wasn’t perfect, but it would do. He lied down on his blanket and closed his eyes. He would put the rest of his life together some other time. For now, he just wanted to rest.

 

            Johnny marched down the sidewalk, his eyes focused as he searched the streets. He had been looking for a thrift store since sunrise. This place was so unfamiliar to him. Fortunately his super computer brain had been building a map in his head so he wouldn’t get lost.

            He didn’t get much sleep last night, but he wasn’t expecting to. His nightmares were getting worse. More frequent and way more elaborate. He was almost too scared to go to sleep.

            Oddly enough the lack of sleep hadn’t been getting to him. As long as he took a few minutes to rest every so often, then he felt fine.

            After a few more hours of seemingly aimless walking, Johnny finally found a thrift store. He sighed and let himself in. The first thing he saw was racks and racks of clothes. He smiled and started looking around.

            He didn’t need too much. Just one shirt and a pair of pants would do. As long as he found a way to wash them, then he would have two outfits. That seemed like enough to him.      

            He found a long sleeve, black and white striped shirt. He liked stripes. And it was only slightly too big. But most of his clothes always were. He’s quite small.

            He took the shirt off the rack and went looking for pants. He found a plain, black pair fairly quickly. They would do.

            He brought his new clothes to the cashier. She looked bored as she scanned them.

            Johnny dug in his pockets and took out all of change he’d been accumulating over the last few weeks. Mostly just a lot of dimes and nickels. He dropped it all on the counter and started counting.

            “What, did you find all this on the street?” the cashier scoffed.

            “Yes,” he grunted.

            She got really silent really quick.

            He had more than enough for his new clothes. And with what he had left, he would definitely be able to buy some actual food.

            He smiled as he considered this. Then something caught his eye. He turned around and noticed something in a bin a little ways away.

            “Hold on,” he ordered the cashier as he went to check it out. He peeked inside and beamed.           

            What he saw was a large hunting knife. It was plain with a black handle and matching sheath. The blade was curved and silver. It wasn’t anything special, but it would be perfect for his weapon.

            He quickly brought it to the cashier. “How much?”

            “I’m sorry. We can’t sell that to minors,” she said.

            Johnny pouted. He regretfully put the knife back before grabbing his clothes and all of his change and leaving.

            “That sucks,” he whined as he walked down the street. “That knife was perfect. Oh well. It would probably be too noticeable anyway. I should just get a switchblade. But something better than that garbage one from yesterday.”

            “Look at that stupid kid, talking to himself.” Johnny turned to the voice and glared at its owner. A group of greasy, young adults. They snickered at him.

            Johnny growled and started to walk towards them but stopped when he noticed a sign behind them. It was labeled ‘trade show’ and pointing to a large lot.

            Johnny cocked his head curiously. A trade show would have lots of cool things. And it might help him practice his stealing skills. He couldn’t hope to buy everything after all.

            So Johnny completely forgot about the group of assholes and walked over to the trade show.

            There were stands set up all over the lot, and each stand was displaying different items for sale. There were a lot of people walking around so Johnny quickly blended into the crowd. He wasn’t sure what he was looking for. A weapon would be cool but he wouldn’t get his hopes up.

            He looked around for about an hour without finding anything of use to him. That is until he noticed a small stand displaying knives.

            He smiled and took a look. They ranged from pocket knives to hunting knives. He examined them with great interest until the stand owner noticed him.

            “Sorry, kid,” he grunted, “can’t sell these to a minor.”

            Johnny glared at him but stood back. Just as well, he couldn’t afford them anyway.

            He disappeared into the crowd but kept his eye on the stand. He was still going to take a knife though.

            He walked away a bit then doubled back around. He wasn’t going to take anything big. Just something small. That’s all he needed.

            The stand owner was talking to someone when Johnny got closer. Perfect, he was distracted.

            Johnny took a deep breath and started walking faster. He subtly brushed against the table, his hand grabbing the closest knife. Nobody noticed. He quickly slipped the weapon into his pocket and kept walking.

            Once he was a safe distance away, he raced for the exit. He sighed with relief when he got out of the crowd and smiled victoriously. He pulled his new weapon out of his pocket. It was a small pocket knife with a wooden handle and a slightly curved blade. It looked way nicer than the switchblade he had yesterday.

            Johnny smiled and walked away. He was done for the day. Might as well go home.

            It took him a while to make it back to the old parking garage. He slipped through the hole in the entrance and walked up to the third floor, where he left his blanket.

            He dropped his bag of clothes onto the floor and sat down next to it. He took out his knife and flipped it open. He ran his thumb down the blade. It was already really sharp. He flinched when it sliced his skin open.

            He stared at the injury. The blood oozed out of the cut and down his palm. It looked so gross yet so fascinating.

            Johnny rested his hand on the floor, leaving it to bleed until it clotted, and stared at the ceiling.

He got a lot done today. He felt very productive. He didn’t plan on living like this forever. But for now it would do just fine.


	20. Fanatics 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pepito asks out Squee.

Pepito Loves Squee

 

            Pepito parks his bicycle at the bike racks. He stretches and looks around. The girls of his class have finally gotten the message that he’s not interested and stopped swarming him. But they still greet him and talk to him. And Pepito- being the polite young man that he is- always addresses them back.

            “Morning, Pepito,” Jessica chimes.

            “Good morning, Jessica,” he smiles and her heart melts.

            “How was your weekend?” she asks.

            “It was… interesting,” he replies, “what about you?”

            She starts rambling on about some gossip that Pepito only half listens to. He keeps his content smile plastered on his face until he sees Squee walk into the Skool yard. Then it transcends into a full blown grin of pure happiness.

            “Gotta go. Later, Jessica,” Pepito says, cutting her off as he walks away.

            “Oh, okay. Bye,” she mutters.

            Pepito walks over to Squee, his mind reeling. _This is it. Today’s the day. I’m going to finally ask him. I’m done psyching myself out. Today will be the day._

“Hi, Squee,” Pepito chimes.

            “Hello, Pepito,” Squee smiles and his heart melts.

            They start walking up to the Skool together. Pepito seems like his normal, cool self, but on the inside he is freaking out.

            _Do it. Ask him. Do it now!_

            “So, Squee,” he croaks, “I was just wondering um…”

            He suddenly stops when he makes eye contact with Squee. His big, beautiful brown eyes are looking right him. His adorable face is full of curiosity. He’s just… so… precious.

            And it makes Pepito choke.

            “I-I was… just… wondering…” he mutters, “how you’re weekend was.”

            “Oh. It was good,” Squee replies, “after the craziness of Saturday I just stayed in all day Sunday.”

            “Yeah, me too,” Pepito chuckles. On the outside he’s smiling, but on the inside he’s beating himself up.

            They walk through the halls of the Skool to their lockers. But Pepito suddenly stops when he spots Zim and Dib. They wave good morning to Squee as he passes by. Pepito heads straight for them when he’s gone.

            “Hey, guys,” he grunts.

            “Hi, Pepito,” Dib greets. Zim half waves.

            “I need some advice.”

            They look at him curiously.

            “With what?” Dib asks.

            “Whatever it is, you have come to the right place,” Zim declares.

            “I hope so,” Pepito sighs, “um… so for a while now… I’ve kind of… sort of… had a pretty big crush… on Squee.”

            “Yeah, we know,” Dib states.

            “You did?” he exclaims.

            “Well, yeah. You do everything in your power to stay close to him,” he points out, “it’s kind of obvious.”

            “Oh,” Pepito mumbles, “well this should be easier then. How do I ask him out?”

            “Huh?” Dib questions.

            “I’ve been trying to ask him out on a date,” Pepito explains, “but I just can’t. Every time I try he just looks at me with those big, brown eyes looking all adorable and I just choke. I get all tongue tied. The words just won’t come out.”

            “Why are you coming to us with this?” Dib asks.

            “You guys are the most functional relationship I know about,” he replies, “so how did you end up together?”

            “Um, well long story short, the world was in danger, we decided to work together to save it, we ended up spending a lot of time together, and it just sort of happened.”

            “I see. So I have to put the world in danger,” Pepito muses.

            “I wouldn’t go with that option,” Dib argues.

            “I think you should just ask him,” Zim states.

            “Weren’t you listening? I can’t,” Pepito snaps, “that’s why I’m here.”

            “No, I was listening,” Zim grunts, “and you said you get tongue tied when you look at how adorable he is. So just don’t look at him.”

            “But I wanna project confidence.”

            “You’re talking to Squee. Compared to him, you’d project confidence even if you were curled up in a ball in the corner.”

            “Okay, point,” Pepito nods.

            “You should also wait until after Skool,” Dib adds, “if you manage to ask him out now, neither of you will be able to focus all day.”

            “Right, right,” Pepito agrees, “okay, today will be the day. After Skool I will ask him out. You’ll see.”  

            “We believe in you,” Zim grunts apathetically as he closes his locker.

            The bell rings and everyone sets off to class.

            The morning passes by calmly. First there’s homeroom and English with Miss Sweeties and then history with Ms. Bitters. After that it’s lunchtime. The boys sit at their usual table in the cafeteria.

            Dib, Zim, and Pepito stare questionably at their lunch. It’s supposed to be chicken but it’s probably not even meat. Squee happily eats his bag lunch.

            “You should share that,” Zim demands.

            “No way,” Squee grunts, “if you don’t like the cafeteria food then just bring your own lunch.”

            “That would be too simple,” Pepito grunts as he pokes his lunch with a spork.

            Gaz walks in and sits down next to Dib.

            “Hey, you,” Pepito snaps, “what were you doing on Saturday that was so damn important you couldn’t even manage a ‘hello’?”

            “What?” Gaz questions then realizes. “Oh, you mean when you called me. I was meeting someone.”

            “Who?” Squee asks.

            “Ivory Shutin,” she replies.

            “What?” Zim questions.

            “She beat me in the final battle of the Battle Battle Footy Kick 2 Tournament,” she clarifies, “I had to meet her.”

            “What was she like?” Dib asks.

            “Nothing like I thought,” Gaz replies, “she’s actually your age and she goes to our Skool.”

            “Really? Is she in our class?” Squee asks.

            “I don’t think so. She doesn’t seem to interact with people very much. She even eats her lunch in the boiler room.”

            “The boiler room? Isn’t that where all the losers hang out?” Pepito scoffs.

            “That’s debatable,” Gaz shrugs, “she seems like a cool person. I told her to come eat in the cafeteria today. If she doesn’t, then I’ll track her down.

            “Wow, you are a tyrant,” Dib comments.

            Gaz glances at the door and perks up immediately when she sees Madeleine walk in. “That’s her.”

            The boys all look curiously.

            “Maddie,” Gaz calls and waves at her. Maddie walks over hesitantly. She sits down next to her and stares nervously at her knees.

            “I wasn’t sure if you’d actually come,” Gaz says.

            “Me neither,” Maddie mutters.

            “Okay, so, guys, this is Madeleine,” Gaz states, “Maddie, this is Zim, Dib, Squee and Pepito.”

            “Hi,” Squee smiles.

            “I like your hair,” Pepito comments.

            “Um thank-thank you,” Maddie mumbles.

            The air is rather awkward and quiet for a second. Maddie hesitantly puts her bag lunch on the table and opens it.

            “Look, Madeleine brings her own lunch,” Squee observes.

            “She doesn’t eat in the cafeteria,” Dib points out, “she’d have to pack a lunch.”      

            “Nevertheless, I will admit bringing lunch from home is a good idea,” Zim says, “if only Skoodge knew how to cook.”

            “What about Gir?” Pepito questions.

            “He can cook but only Earth food. He’s not very good at preparing Irken food, ironically enough,” Zim replies.

            “Irken food?” Maddie questions.

            The boys all flinch.

            “Uh um Irken is a special kind of food,” Dib says quickly.

            “Right, right. It’s really rare,” Zim nods.

            “It’s like organic and hard to prepare,” Pepito adds.

            Squee just stays quiet.

            “See,” Gaz grunts, “I told you they were idiots.”

            The bell rings and everybody leaves. Gaz walks with Maddie through the hall.

            “Um, thank you for inviting me to lunch,” Maddie says, “it was fun.”

            “You should come more often,” Gaz suggests.

            “M-maybe,” she smiles nervously.

            The rest of the day is uneventful. The last classes are math and science with Mr. Serene. They’re always really slow.

            As the time of the final bell looms closer, Pepito continuously squirms in his seat. He keeps glancing at the clock.

            _I’m gonna do it. As soon as Skool is over, I’m gonna ask him. I will. I really will this time._

After what seems like an eternity, the bell finally rings. Everyone packs up their things and quickly leave.

            Pepito and Squee stop at their lockers to drop their books off. Pepito continuously glances at Squee, his heart pounding.

            _Ask him. Ask him. Ask him. Ask him._

Squee closes his locker and smiles at him. “See you tomorrow.

            “Uh, right. See you,” Pepito mutters.

            Squee walks away and Pepito just stares into his locker, defeated.

            Somebody suddenly grabs the back of his shirt and shoves him down the hall. He turns around and looks at Zim.

            “Go, stupid!” he snaps and points at Squee.

            Pepito winces and chases after Squee.

            He catches up to him in the Skool yard. “Squee, hold up.”

            “Yes?” he questions and turns around.

            Pepito flinches. He looks at the ground and takes a deep breath. “I was just wondering… tonight… if you’re not busy… do you… maybe… wanna go on a date with me?”

            Squee’s face lights up with a bright blush. He looks away and scratches his neck. “Uh um… s-sure.”

            “Really?” Pepito exclaims happily, “then-then how about at seven? We can um we can meet at that restaurant you like, Café Latte, then go from there?”

            Squee nods, his eyes fixed to the ground.

            “Cool. Then see you later,” he waves.

            “See you,” Squee mutters and walks away.

            Pepito beams excitedly as Dib and Zim suddenly appear beside him.

            “You actually did it,” Dib smiles and pats his shoulder. “Good job.”

            “Yeah. I got a date with Squee!” he chimes. Then his smile suddenly disappears and his face fills with fear. “I got a date… with Squee.”

            “What’s wrong?” Zim asks.

            “I got a date with Squee.”

            “Isn’t that what you wanted?”

            “Well, yeah, but,” Pepito stammers, “but what am I going to do? What am I going to wear? I don’t know what to do!”

            Meanwhile, Squee approaches Johnny’s car looking relatively calm. He climbs into the passenger seat, his face blank.  

            But as soon as Johnny asks him how his day was, panic hits him like a baseball bat.

            “Oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no,” Squee whimpers as he covers his face with his hands.

            “What’s wrong?” Johnny asks, bewildered.

            “Pepito asked me out. I got a date with Pepito. Tonight!” he squeals.

            “What?” he exclaims.

            “I don’t know what do to!”

 

            “You got a date with Pepito?” Devi exclaims, “that’s great!”

            “Maybe,” Squee mumbles.

            “Aw, there’s no need to be nervous,” Tenna says reassuringly.

            “There’s every need to be nervous! All the needs!” Squee exclaims, “I’ve never been on a date before. What am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to act?”

            “Just act like yourself,” Devi says.

            “You don’t understand. This entire situation is ridiculous!” Squee snaps, “I’ve hung out with Pepito a dozen times. But now we suddenly label it as a ‘date’ and I’m plagued with all kinds of useless thoughts. Like what am I going to wear? And should I do something with my hair? What should we talk about? Where should we go?”

            “Okay, Squee, you need to settle the fuck down,” Johnny orders.

            “I can’t!” Squee cries and collapses face first into the couch.

            Devi, Tenna, and Johnny look at him curiously. They glance at each other and sigh.

            Devi kneels next to couch, by Squee’s head. “What time is the date?”

            “Seven,” Squee replies, his voice muffled by the couch cushion.

            “That gives us plenty of time,” Devi smiles, “what do you wanna do? Do you wanna go to the mall and maybe get some new clothes?”

            “What? That’s dumb,” Johnny snaps, “he shouldn’t dress in something new for something as trivial as a date.”

            “Dates aren’t trivial,” Tenna argues.

            “And going out to a place as terrible as the mall isn’t going to calm him down,” Johnny points out, “he should stay in and try to settle his nerves.”

            “Oh, yeah, because being alone with his thoughts is totally going to calm him down,” Devi grunts sarcastically.

            “He won’t be alone. And he can do something to distract himself, like play games or watch TV,” Johnny argues.

            “That’s your answer to everything,” Tenna scoffs.

            “Because they’re distracting.”

            Squee looks up at them and watches them argue for a second before he snaps.

            “You guys are no help!” he shouts with frustration as he jumps to his feet and walks out the door. “I’m gonna talk to Colton.”

            They stare after him for a second before Tenna scoffs. “Like Colton will be more help than us.”

            Squee sits on the curb and waits patiently. He and Colton have a silent agreement. ‘Whenever one bro sees the other bro sitting on the curb, the first bro is obligated to go sit with him, no matter what he’s doing.’ This is their special spot when they can talk about anything or just enjoy each other’s company as bros.

            Colton quickly leaves his house and joins him on the curb. “What’s up?”

            “I have a problem,” Squee replies.

            “I’m all ears, dude.”

            “I have a date with Pepito.”

            “Really? That’s so cool!” Colton exclaims.

            “But I don’t know what to do!” Squee squeals, “I’m totally freaking out!”

            “Whoa, bro, chill,” Colton says, “what’s wrong?”

            “I’ve never been on a date before. I don’t know how to go about it.”

            “I don’t think it’s that hard,” Colton mutters uncertainly, “but I’ve never been on one before so what do I know.”

            Squee sighs miserably.

            “I’m sorry, Squee.”

           “It’s okay. Thinking about it now, I don’t know why I thought you could help,” Squee shrugs.

            “If it’s any consolation, Pepito is probably freaking out too,” Colton points out.

            “No way,” Squee scoffs, “Pepito’s too cool for that. I mean, it’s just a date with me. He has no reason to be nervous.”

            Meanwhile, Rose Diablo watches nervously as her son scurries around his bedroom, a look of pure panic and despair on his face.

            “Pepito, honey, you need to calm down,” she says for the fifth time in an hour.

            “I can’t, Mom,” Pepito exclaims, “I need to find something to wear. And I gotta do something with my hair. But-but I’ll be wearing my beanie anyway, so what’s the point. But I gotta figure out what we’re gonna do and where we’re gonna go. Tonight has gotta be perfect. What am I going to do?”

            He opens his closet and throws out all of his clothes as he tries to find something nice to wear. He rushes to his mirror and plays around with his hair. Then he pulls on his beanie and plays around with that. He just can’t relax or sit still. His nerves won’t allow it.

            And that’s how Pepito and Squee spend their few hours before their first date.

 

            Johnny drives Devi, Tenna, and Squee to Café Latte. Squee is sitting quietly in the back.

 He didn’t dress up in anything new or different. He’s still wearing the same thing he wore all day. He tried to calm down over the last few hours, but to no avail. His thoughts are mess and his heart is beating nervously. He just hopes he doesn’t screw this up somehow.

Johnny pulls the car over and everyone gets out. Squee immediately spots Pepito standing a few feet away, leaning against the wall. He didn’t dress up either. This is a big relief to Squee.

“Good luck,” Devi chimes.

“Have fun,” Tenna smiles

Johnny just ruffles his hair. The three of them walk into the café, leaving Squee outside.

Pepito sees him and stands up as he walks over.

“Hi,” he smiles.

“Hi,” Squee mutters.

“So uh I was thinking we could stop somewhere for food and then maybe walk around a bit?” Pepito suggests, “I um I know this place that makes some pretty good crepes.”

“Sure,” he nods and they take off.

            It’s pretty awkward at first. It’s quiet and the only time they break the silence is to make small talk for the sake of breaking the silence.

            But after a while they loosen up and talk like they always do. This may be an awkward transition, but they started out as friends so they’re used to hanging out. Once they stop trying and worrying so much, everything feels easy.

            They stop at the crepe place and get some chocolate crepes to go. They wander around a bit more, munching on their snack and chatting about everything and anything.

            They start crossing an overpass, but Squee suddenly stops and looks around. From this bridge, looking left and right, you can see so much of the city. One side is dark while the other side is lit up by the sunset. It looks so pretty.

            “You know, I really love this city,” Squee smiles, “despite all the crazy things that happen here, I don’t think I could live anywhere else.”

            “Me too,” Pepito says, “this place is great.”

            They sit on the edge of the overpass and watch the sunset together.

            “So… I-I don’t mean to bring up an awkward subject- except I kinda do,” Pepito stammers, “but are-are we a… couple now?”

            “I-I guess,” Squee shrugs, “I mean, if you wanna be.”

            “I want whatever you want.”

            Squee takes a deep breath. “I don’t really know what being a couple entails. Except for what I learned from TV, which is mostly a needless increase in physical contact and useless jealousy.”

            “We don’t have to be a couple like every other couple,” Pepito points out, “we can do whatever we want with our relationship. It doesn’t have to be seen as ‘traditional’ in other people’s eyes. In fact, it already isn’t.”

            “I like that,” Squee smiles, “so what should we do now?”

            “How about we walk back to Café Latte, holding hands?” Pepito suggests.

            “Sure, okay,” he nods.

            They stand up. Pepito offers his hand to Squee. He slowly takes it and they hold each other, their fingers interlaced.

            They smile at each other and start walking.

            “Look, I know you’re like really nervous about physical contact, or any sort of contact really,” Pepito says, “I can tell you’re already really nervous with just holding hands. I can feel your pulse going really fast.”

            “Oh, jeez,” Squee murmurs.

            “But it’s okay,” he smiles, “we can go as slow as you like. As long as you’re happy, then I’m elated.”

            “Thanks, Pepito,” Squee smiles back.

            They walk quietly for a few minutes. Holding hands feels a little weird for both of them, especially Squee. It’s kind of itchy and a little sweaty. But it’s also warm and comforting.

            “Okay, so, physical contact is somewhat undetermined,” Squee says, “and I think we can both agree that useless jealousy is off the table.”

            “Agreed,” Pepito nods, “I’m not gonna keep you from hanging out with other people.”

            “Same,” he agrees, “but what about other couple stuff?”

            “What, like pet names?” Pepito questions, “do you want a pet name?”

            “Not really, no,” Squee replies, “do you?”

            Pepito considers it. “Uh no.”

“Okay, so no pet names,” Squee declares.

“What about that whole ‘you hang up, no you hang up’ spiel on the phone?” Pepito asks.

            “You can hang up first.”

            “Why?”

            “I have a problem with hanging up first,” Squee admits, “what if I hang up first but the person on the other line wasn’t actually done talking and they get angry? Or what if they wanted to tell me something at the last minute and I hang up and they call me back? Then hanging up would’ve been pointless.”

            Pepito laughs, “you’re so cute.”

            “My social ineptitude is cute?” Squee questions.    

            “Didn’t you hear? Social ineptitude is the new black.”

            Squee laughs. They giggle with each other as they near Café Latte.      

            Meanwhile, inside the café, Johnny angrily prods at his pastry with a fork.

            “What are you so mad about?” Samantha asks, “Squee’s on his first date! You should be proud.”

            “Ah, first dates,” Tamika coos, “so precious. Do you guys remember yours?”

            “Yes,” Devi grunts, “it didn’t go well.”

            “Mine either,” Samantha sighs.

            “Mine either,” Tamika admits.

            “Mine either,” Jade groans. And so goes the mantra for the rest of the Café Latte waitresses.

            “I wouldn’t care about his first date,” Johnny says, “well, okay, I might. But he’s out with Pepito.”

            “Well, I can see how that might be upsetting, what with him being a boy,” Samantha muses.

            “What’s that got to do with it?” Johnny questions.

            “You mean you’re not bothered that they’re both boys?” Jade asks.

            “Look, I don’t care if Pepito is a boy, a girl, or a fucking bird,” he snaps, “he’s an annoying little douche and if Squee didn’t like him so much I would’ve snapped his head off a long time ago.”

            “So let’s say their date works out,” Devi says, “will you not support their relationship?”

            “I’m not gonna keep Squee from doing something he wants to do,” Johnny replies, “even if it involves that grease ball. But that doesn’t mean I’m gonna make it easy on Pepito.”

            “You’re such a good parent,” Tenna smiles. Johnny just grunts in reply.

            The bell rings and everybody looks up as Pepito and Squee walk in, holding hands and laughing. They quickly let go of each other when Pepper greets them.

            “Welcome,” she smiles, “would you like the couples smoothie?”

            “Couples smoothie?” Pepito questions.

            “It’s a big smoothie with two straws,” Squee clarifies.

            “So, what, we’d drink from the same glass? Sounds uncomfortable.”

            “It does.”

            “But I can’t stay long anyway,” Pepito sighs, “my mom wasn’t thrilled about me being out on a Skool night. I told her I’d be home before ten. But I had fun.”

            “Me too,” Squee smiles.

            “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he waves as he walks to the door.

            “See you.”

            Squee waits until Pepito’s gone before sitting down next to Johnny. He stares at his hand. It feels kind of empty without Pepito holding it.

            He suddenly perks up when he notices everyone is staring at him.

            “So how did it go?” Devi asks.

            “Fine,” Squee replies.

            “Just fine?” Samantha questions.

            “Where did you go?” Jade asks.

            “Did you kiss?” Tamika asks.

            They all immediately back off when Johnny shoots them a glare.

            “It was fun,” Squee says.

            “What’s your relationship status?” Tenna asks.

            Squee considers the question. He looks back at his hand and wiggles his fingers. “Intrigued.”

            “Huh?” she questions.

            “You gotta complicate everything, don’t you?” Devi scoffs.

            “I don’t complicate anything,” Squee disagrees, “I just look at it differently. Besides being in a relationship might not be so bad. At least if it’s with Pepito.”

            “We’ll see,” Johnny grunts.

            Squee smiles and stares more at his hand. It feels empty but he can still recall Pepito’s warmth.

            This feeling. It’s new and it’s weird. But it’s really not so bad.


	21. Fanatics 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nny gets laryngitis.

Nny Can’t Talk

 

            “I can’t fucking believe this! I swear the entire world is populated with nothing but idiots and assholes!”

            Squee follows Johnny into the house. Nugget’s ears barely twitch as she hears Johnny ranting at the top of his lungs. As long as it’s not related to her, then she doesn’t care.

            “The light was green! But the asshole in front of us wouldn’t budge! And then I’m the one who gets honked at! Why do these fuckers feel the need to drive when they clearly cannot?”

            After over three years of living together, Squee has long gotten used to Johnny’s yelling. It doesn’t bother him in slightest, not even those rare, rare times when it’s directed at him. And not just because Nny apologizes immediately after.

            Comforting him or telling him to shut up doesn’t help. In fact, usually it makes things worse. The best thing to do is to just let him get it all out of his system. After a few minutes he’ll quiet down and everything will be okay.

            “People are so terrible! They just love to put the blame on-.”

            Squee freezes. Johnny’s never stopped mid-sentence before.

            “Johnny? You okay?” he asks.

            He’s just standing there, his hand over his mouth and a very quizzical expression on his face.

            He lowers his hand and opens his mouth. A scratchy croak comes out. He immediately covers his mouth again.

            He was trying to say, “I’m fine.” Clearly he’s not.

            “What’s wrong?” Squee asks.

            Johnny swallows hard, his face wincing in pain as he rubs his neck.

            “Is it your throat?”

            Johnny nods.

            Squee’s face fills with worry. “We better go see Charlie.”

            Johnny sighs and follows him back to the car.

            Charlie lives in the same apartment building as Devi and Tenna. He’s a licensed doctor, but he doesn’t have an actual practice. He just treats people who can’t go to real hospitals, like the C’s. He’s basically their family doctor.

            “Alright, so what’s the problem?” he asks as he leads the boys to his homemade operation room.

            “He can’t talk and I think his throat hurts,” Squee replies.

            “Okay. Take a seat on the table,” Charlie demands as he pulls on a pair of gloves. Johnny sits on his operating table, looking very irritated.

           “Now say ‘ah’,” he orders. Johnny glares at him. “Ah, I’m just screwing with you,” he laughs, “no but seriously, open your mouth and stick out your tongue.”

           Johnny does so. Charlie uses a tongue depressor and a flashlight to look around in his throat.

            “As I thought,” Charlie declares as he lowers his tools. “Looks like a minor case of laryngitis. Nothing serious.”

            “How do we fix it?” Squee asks.

            “Drink lots of water, maybe some medication if his throat is really bothering him. Anything from a drug store will do,” he replies, “but above all he has to stop talking for a while. And he really needs to stop yelling.”

            “For how long?”

            “At most, probably a week. If it lasts any longer, than he may want to go to an actual hospital with better equipment than me.”

            “Okay. Thanks, Charlie,” Squee smiles gratefully. Johnny barely manages to grunt as he hops off the table and walks to the door, rubbing his throat.

            “No problem. Have a good day,” he waves as the boys leave.

            “Wow. No talking for a week,” Squee muses, “will you be able to do it?”

            Johnny just shrugs.

            “He won’t,” Shmee comments.

            “Oh, I know,” Squee exclaims. He starts digging around in his bag until he pulls out a cheap pen and a little notebook. “You can write in this to communicate. That should make it easier.”

            Johnny takes the items, flips the notebook open, and scrawls something down. He shows it to Squee.

            ‘This fucking sucks.’

            Squee smiles. “It won’t be so bad.”

            Johnny groans and follows the kid out of the building and into the car.

            They’re home in a few minutes. Johnny parks the car on the curb and they hop out. Before Johnny can even make it into his yard, his neighbor, Amanda, yells at him from across the street.

            “Hey, Johnny! You really need to mow your lawn!” she barks, “it’s such an eyesore.”

            Johnny turns and glares at her. He opens his mouth to give her such an earful, but instead lets out a terrible dry cough. Squee freezes at the sound.

            Johnny wipes his mouth and marches into the house, without giving Amanda another glance. She grunts victoriously and goes into her own house.

            Squee stares after Johnny and grips his shirt, a terrible feeling welling up in his chest.

 

            “Johnny has laryngitis?” Tenna exclaims before bursting into laughter. “That’s hilarious.”

          Devi chuckles and pokes Johnny’s cheek. “Maybe this will teach you to stop yelling so much.”

            Johnny snarls. He writes ‘fuck you’ in his notebook, to get his point across. It doesn’t have much effect though.

            “Man, your writing is terrible,” Devi comments, “how can you even read that chicken scratch?”

            The girls get a nice laugh out of Johnny’s situation, until a cold shiver runs down their spines. They turn around and notice Squee glaring at them.

            “It’s not funny,” he grunts.

            “No, no,” Devi says quickly, “it’s not funny that he’s sick. Of course not. But like the uh idea of it is kind of funny. Like you know, the fact that he can’t yell. That’s the funny part.”

            “Right, what she said,” Tenna nods.

            Squee groans and rolls his eyes. “Anyway. I figure the best way to keep Johnny from aggravating his condition is by keeping him from things that make him angry. Driving is definitely one of those things. So until he’s feeling better, Devi, would you be able to drive me to and from Skool? I know it’s a bit of a hassle.”

            “Don’t worry about it. I’ll be happy to,” she replies.

            “Thank you,” Squee smiles.

            “What about you?” she asks as she sits next to Johnny. “Do you need any help?”

            Johnny quickly writes in his notepad. ‘You could help me by leaving.’

            “Don’t be silly. Friends stick by their friends when they’re sick,” Tenna says as he sits on his other side. “And you’re much less annoying to be around when you can’t talk.”

            Johnny growls and opens his mouth to say something. But again all that escapes is a croak followed by a dry cough. He covers his mouth until the spell is over then sighs with defeat and rests his chin in his hand.

            “Aw, poor, Nny. So, so sick,” Devi coos.

            “You should drink plenty of water and take some medicine,” Tenna chirps.

            The two of them gently mock Nny’s situation while Squee watches from the kitchen, a sick feeling growing in his gut. He groans and rubs his stomach.

            “Are you okay?” Shmee asks.

            “I don’t know. I feel… weird,” he replies.

            The next day Devi picks Squee up for Skool, like she promised. So she was one of the first few to notice his bad mood, the others being Nny, Shmee, and Nugget.

            Squee’s irritation isn’t physically noticeable. He doesn’t show a sour expression. Instead it’s more like an aura he lets off, that tells those around him not to push his buttons. Nny, Shmee, and Nugget follow the instructions. Devi, however, has a different mindset.

            “How are you doing?” she asks.

            “Fine,” he replies curtly.

            “Did you sleep well?”

            “I guess.”

            Devi squirms uncomfortably. Squee’s not much of a conversationalist but he’s almost never so blunt. At least not with people he’s close to. Something is definitely bothering him.

            “I know you’re worried about Johnny being sick and all,” she says cautiously, “but it will be okay. This is Johnny we’re talking about after all. He can handle a sore throat.”

            Squee doesn’t say anything. Just stares quietly out the window.

            Devi glances at him before sighing. Nothing she says will make him feel better. So the very least she can do is not aggravate him any further.

            They finally reach the Skool. Devi stops the car at the curb and Squee gets out.

            “Have a good day,” she calls.

            “You too,” he mutters as he shuts the door.

            He straightens his bag, sticks his hands in his sweater pockets, and trudges into the Skool, his feet dragging slightly on the pavement.

            The other students aren’t close enough to Squee to understand his mood changes like his family. The only other ones who notice his bad mood are Zim, Dib, Gaz, and Pepito. They’re standing around Zim’s locker and talking. Normally Squee would’ve stopped and talked with them, but instead he just gives them a half-wave and keeps walking.

            “He’s in a bad mood,” Zim deduces.

            “Pepito, what’d you do?” Dib asks accusingly.

            “What makes you think it’s my fault?” he asks, offended.

            “Well, you two are in a new relationship,” Gaz points out.

            “Oh so something happens and you immediately think I did it?”

            “Yeah,” they answer simultaneously.

            “Fair enough,” he shrugs, “but for the record, our relationship is fine. I’m not sure what’s bothering him.”

            “Maybe he woke up on the wrong side of the bed,” Gaz grunts.

            “It’s odd,” Zim mutters, “but I feel a hyuman phrase as juvenile as that one wouldn’t apply to Squee. No, it’s something else.”

            “Whatever it is,” Dib says, “it’s probably better not to get on his nerves. Got that, Pepito?”

            “Why do you keep accusing me?” he snaps.

            The bell rings and everyone heads to class.

            Squee is in a bad mood the entire morning. His work ethic remains the same and none of the teachers or classmates notice, so it’s not really a big deal.

            Still, it leaves Zim, Dib, and Pepito on edge.

            At lunch they meet at their usual table in the cafeteria. Squee is the last to show up. They almost think he’s not going to until he walks through the doors and takes his usual place next to Pepito.

            “Hey, Squee. How was your night?” Pepito asks, “you didn’t answer my text.”

            “Sorry. I was busy,” he replies. His voice is low and slightly apathetic.

            “Is everything okay?”

            Squee groans and rubs his head. “Johnny has laryngitis.”

            “Laryngitis. Ha,” Zim laughs, “a pathetic, hyuman disease. What is it?”

            “An inflammation of your vocal cords,” Dib replies.

            “So he can’t talk?” he scoffs, “that’s ironic. He’s always so loud.”

            “Like you’re one to talk,” Gaz grunts.

            “Although it is kind of funny,” Pepito giggles, “considering how much he’s always yelling.”

            The boys chuckle with agreement. Gaz just rolls her eyes.

            “It’s not funny!” Squee snaps.

            The group freezes and stares at him, surprised. He flinches and looks away.

            “Sorry,” he mutters as he grabs his lunch. “I’m uh I’m gonna eat alone today.” He quickly walks away, his head low.

            “Uh oh,” Zim mutters.

            Dib reaches across the table and swipes at Pepito. “Nice going.”

            “What?” he snaps.

            “But I don’t understand why he’s so upset,” Zim admits, “is it that bad of a disease?”

            “It’s not the disease, stupid,” Gaz grunts.

            “Then what is it?” Dib asks.

            She groans with annoyance and lowers her Game Slave. “Johnny is a major part of Squee’s world. And right now Johnny isn’t himself so a major part of his world is damaged. Get it? Of course he wouldn’t be himself.”

            “Oh, I see,” Zim nods.

            “What can we do to help?” Dib asks.

            “Nothing. Nothing can fix a person’s world when it’s be damaged except for the person or the damaged thing itself,” Gaz replies, “right now all we can do is wait for Johnny to get better and try not to irritate Squee any further.”

            “You got that, Pepito?” Dib asks accusingly.

            He snarls at him.

            Meanwhile Squee walks quickly through the halls, his head low and eyes fixed on the ground.

            “You’ve never snapped like that at anyone but Johnny, Nugget, and myself before,” Shmee comments.

            “I didn’t mean to,” Squee sighs, “it just… came out harsher than I wanted it to.”

            “Eh, they had it coming,” he shrugs, “but it’s kind of interesting. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in this bad of a mood before.”

            “I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” he mutters.

            “Don’t worry about it. Everyone has bad days.”

            After lunch Squee meets up with Zim and the others and apologizes for snapping. They all smile and forgive him, telling him it’s no big deal. He’s grateful for that.

            At the end of the day, Devi drives Squee home. The trip is quiet. He’s still slightly irritated and she doesn’t want to antagonize him.

            She parks the car on the curb and says, “I’ll be here in the morning.”

            “Okay. Thanks, Devi,” Squee mutters. He gets out of the car and walks up to the front door.

            He walks in and sees Johnny lying on the couch with Nugget on his chest.

            “Hey, Nny,” he sighs.

            Johnny looks up at him. He sits up, shoving the cat off of him. She flicks her tail with distaste and lies down on the back of the couch.

            He grabs his notebook and pen and writes something down.

            ‘How was your day?’

            “It was alright,” Squee shrugs as he sits down. “What about you? Did you do anything?”

            ‘Not really.’

            “Did you eat?”

            ‘I had some soup Devi brought over at lunch.’

            “That’s good,” Squee nods approvingly.

            Johnny stares at him for a second before scrawling something out.

            ‘You okay?’

            “Fine. Why?” he questions.

            ‘Don’t lie. I can tell something is wrong.’

            Squee sighs and looks away as he gently tugs Shmee’s ear. “Well… I told the guys you had laryngitis. And they thought it was so funny. Just like Devi and Tenna, they laughed. They thought it was hilarious that you can’t yell.”

            Johnny scratches his chin before quickly writing down his response.

            ‘I’m not saying they’re not a bunch of assholes…’ He turns the page. ‘But is my not being able to yell that much of a bad thing?’

            “Of course it is!” Squee snaps, catching Johnny off guard. “Yelling is what makes you, you. If you can’t yell then you’re not yourself and that’s a bad thing.”

            Johnny feels his heart- or whatever he might have in place of it- swell up a bit. _He’s in a bad mood… because he’s worried about me?_

He sighs and plants his hand on Squee’s head. He quickly writes something out with his free hand and drops the notebook onto his lap.

            ‘When I’m better, I’ll yell at every single one of them until their ears blow.’

            Squee laughs, and it’s the first time he’s smiled all day. “You don’t have to do that. They didn’t really mean to be rude.”

            Johnny nods as he mouths ‘right, right’.

            About two days pass with no real change in Johnny’s condition. And that means no real change in Squee’s mood. He’s constantly irritable, except for when he’s home with Nny.

            He doesn’t snap at his friends. Of course they’re really careful not to make him do so. It’s actually not that hard to keep from pissing Squee off. All they gotta do is keep the topic off Johnny, which is really quite easy.

            But while Zim, Dib, and Gaz aren’t too bothered by Squee’s behaviour, Pepito is worried. Squee hasn’t wanted to hang out at all and he only replies to his texts with one maybe two words. They hung out more than this before they started dating. This makes Pepito kind of thirsty.

            So after Skool, he decides to drop by his house.

            He drops his bicycle on the lawn as he marches up the front walk. He rings the weird doorbell that sounds like it’s electrocuting something and to his surprise, Devi answers.

            “Oh, hello, Devi,” he smiles.

            “Hi there, Pepito,” she chimes.

            Johnny suddenly appears behind her, poking his head over her shoulder. He glowers at Pepito and points to the road.

            “Hey, Johnny,” he smirks, “heard you weren’t feeling well. Have you gotten any better?”

            Johnny quickly scrawls something down in his notebook and shows it to him.

            ‘Leave!’

            “I guess not,” Pepito comments, “although I have to admit, you’re much less annoying when you can’t talk.”

            “Isn’t he?” Devi nods, “why don’t you come in?”

            “Thank you. I will,” he beams as he strides through the doorway.

            Johnny groans and covers his face with his hands as he collapses onto the couch, next to Tenna. She looks like she’s really enjoying herself.

            “Pepito?” Squee questions as he comes out of the hallway.

            “Hey, Squee,” he chirps.

            “What are you doing here?” he asks.

            “I just wanted to see if you wanted to hang out.”

            “Oh, uh I-I don’t know,” Squee mutters, “I don’t really feel like it.”

            “We can just stay here,” Pepito shrugs.

            “Um… well,” he murmurs and stares at the floor.

            A pen suddenly bounces off Pepito’s head. He groans and looks at Johnny, who is glaring daggers at him.

            “Is he always this immature?” he asks.

            “Yes,” Devi nods, “he still manages to throw a temper tantrum without being able to yell.”

            She quickly steps out of the way when he whips the notebook at her head.

            “You know, this is actually the first time I’ve been in your house,” Pepito says as he looks around. “It isn’t so bad with a mute Johnny. Can I see your room?”

            “Um,” Squee mumbles.

            “Don’t worry. I’ll just take a look around and be right out,” he clarifies as he walks deeper into the house. “Or maybe I’ll stick around. This place doesn’t seem half bad.”

            Squee watches Pepito walk towards the kitchen. He’s feeling unsure. He doesn’t really want him to be here, for everyone’s sake. But he doesn’t want to kick him out.

            Johnny feels the anger in his gut boil over as that annoying little douche wanders through his living room. Devi and Tenna aren’t helping. They’re enjoying every second of this.

            He can’t take anymore. He jumps to his feet and opens his mouth.      

            “Hold it, you pushy, clingy, little fuck!”

            Everybody freezes and looks at him with wide eyes. He rubs his throat. Other than a slight tickle, there’s no more irritation. And his cough is gone too.

            “I got my voice back,” he mutters. He smirks and glares at Devi and Tenna.

            “Am I loud enough for you, Devi?” he shouts as he marches up to them, his volume going up. “What about you, Tenna? Am I being too loud?”

            Pepito tries to sneak away, but Johnny catches him immediately, grabbing him by the back of his shirt and lifting him at least two feet off the floor.

            “And you,” he snarls, “you pushy, clingy, arrogant, annoying, slimy antichrist bastard!”

            “Nny! You’re all better!” Squee squeals as he suddenly hugs him from the side, a huge, beaming smile on his face.

            Johnny looks down at him with surprise then glares at Pepito. “We’ll finish this later. We’ll have plenty of time for it after all.”

            He tosses him towards the door. He barely manages to steady himself and keep from falling.

            “Now get the fuck out,” he snaps, “all of you. I’m not running a fucking lounge.”

            Pepito quickly scurries away. Tenna and Devi follow close behind, both of them glaring at Johnny as they leave.

           He waits until the door is slammed shut before looking down at Squee. He’s still hugging him, with that big smile on his face. It’s the happiest he’s been all week.

            Johnny smiles and pats his head. Squee looks up at him, his eyes sparkling. He’ll apologize to Pepito tomorrow for what happened. For now, his world is repaired and he just wants to enjoy it.


	22. Fanatics 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A young Johnny is used to living life on the street...or is he?

Fragments of a Past Reality- Professional Street Rat

 

            “Hey, Mom, Tammie. It’s been a while,” Johnny said as he looked down at the gravestones marked ‘Tammie Cessation’ and ‘Sheri Cessation.’ “I would visit more but it’s kind of a long walk from my new place. I was in the neighborhood and I thought I would stop and let you know I’m doing just fine. I hope everything is going well for you in the afterlife. I’ll see you another time.”

            A young Johnny C smiled at his family’s graves before turning and leaving the cemetery. He walked with his hands in his pockets, his head held high, and a permanent scowl on his face. He learnt long ago that the meaner you look, the less people will want to interact with you. And that was very beneficial.

            His scowl suddenly turned quizzical when his stomach rumbled. When was the last time he had eaten? He couldn’t remember. After many months of scarce food, he was used to not eating. He didn’t even notice the side effects anymore. But sometimes his body did get a little angry.

            He noticed a fruit stand up ahead. That would do. It would be enough to tide him over until he got home.

            He casually walked past the stand, his eyes ahead. When the seller turned his back, he ‘accidently’ bumped an apple. It rolled off the counter and he caught it, quickly hiding it under his shirt. Nobody noticed. But he still waited until he was a couple blocks away before eating it.

            Johnny had been living on the streets for over half a year and he had long gotten used to his situation. Stealing was something he was much better at it. He taught himself through trial and error, mostly error. He got yelled at and chased a lot, but he was quick and nobody caught him.

Eventually he learnt how to casually bump small things off the counter and hide them in his clothes. For bigger things, just grab and run. And most importantly, don’t steal from inside a store. It’s too easy to get caught.

Johnny leisurely ate his apple as he marched down the streets. It was a long walk back home and no need to rush. He was not even completely sure how he ended up in the North End in the first place. He remembered resting on a bench last night and then he suddenly woke up on the bus. He must’ve been half asleep.

            Stuff like that had been happening quite a lot. Just random, black gaps in Johnny’s memories. He wasn’t sure what was causing it. It could’ve been lack of sleep or malnutrition but it felt like something different. But Johnny just took it in stride. It didn’t cause too many problems anyway.

               He walked nonstop and continued well into the night. The dark didn’t bother him anymore. He had grown used to it since he spent so many nights awake. In fact, he kind of liked the city after sunset. It was more peaceful.

            For the most part at least.

            “Hey.”

            Johnny turned towards the voice. It was a middle-aged man, clearly intoxicated. He stumbled up towards Johnny, drool dripping from his mouth.

            “What’s a kid like you doing out here? That’s dangerous you know,” he slurred, “you could get hurt.”

            Johnny just glared at him.

            “I could take you home if you want. Come on, I’ll walk you home,” the man declared as he reached for Johnny’s wrist. But just as he grabbed it, Johnny whipped out his pocket knife and sliced open his arm.

            “Don’t touch me,” he grunted.

           The man screamed and fell to his knees as he gripped his arm. Johnny kicked him in the face, sending him tumbling into a nearby alley. He followed and held him down by stepping on his forehead. He lifted his knife and quickly cut open his throat. The man died instantly.

            Johnny wiped the pocketknife on the corpse’s shirt, closed it, and stuck it back into his pocket before walking away, continuing on like nothing happened.

            He made it home sometime the next day. He walked up to the abandoned parking garage, pulled himself through the hole in the boarded up doorway, and walked up to the third floor.

            In the farthest corner of the room, Johnny had set up his little nest. He had his blanket, some food and bottles of water, and a few clothing items.

            He quickly pulled off his current outfit and changed into a fresh one before lying down on his blanket. He sighed and closed his eyes. The chances of getting any sleep were slim, but he still wanted to try.

            Johnny’s dreams were dark and filled with mocking voices and terrible, embellished memories. He woke up in a cold sweat and completely freaked out of his mind. He looked around nervously but quickly relaxed when he realized it was just another nightmare.

            He lied back down and groaned. He had been having nothing but nightmares, which was why he wasn’t sleeping much. Why try when he would only fail?

            He peeked outside through one of the little holes in the boarded up windows. It was dark and raining. He smiled and rushed downstairs and out the door.

            He stood outside for a second and let the cold rain water wash down him. It felt good. He liked the rain. It was cleansing in more ways than one.

            He started walking, kicking up water on the sidewalk. The city was even more peaceful during a rainstorm than at night. He wanted to enjoy it.

            Johnny walked around aimlessly for a long time. How long exactly, he wouldn’t know. But he suddenly stopped when he heard something in the distance.

            It was music. Classical music to be specific. He followed it out of curiosity and came up to a warehouse with the doors wide open. Inside were a bunch of kids about his age. They were sitting around and talking while music played over a stereo nearby. One kid was standing by it and looking through some CDs, an excited smile on his face.  

            Johnny walked in, drawn in by the music. Nobody noticed him.

            “Hey!” one of the boys in the group snapped, “Jeremy, put something else on. This is lame.”

            “Yeah,” one of the girls agreed, “we let you pick the songs only under the condition that you’d play something cool.”

            “This is cool,” Jeremy insisted, “it’s Beethoven.”

            “Fag,” another on the boys snickered.

            Johnny growled. “I think it’s great.”

            The kids looked at him with surprise.

            “Who’s he?” one of them asked.

            “I’ve never seen him before,” another said.

            “I was led here by the music,” Johnny replied.

            “Whatever, let them be,” one of the girls grunted.

            “Jeez, he’s soaked,” one of the boys commented as Johnny walked by. “You better not get my stereo wet.”

            Johnny ignored him as he went up to the stereo. He leant against the wall beside it and closed his eyes, completely absorbing the music.

            Johnny never listened to much music growing up. Just the stuff he heard through his peers, and he never liked any of that. He had no idea classical music was so nice.

            “Um, I’m Jeremy. What’s your name?”

            Johnny opened his eyes and looked at the boy beside him. “Johnny,” he grunted.

            “Do you live around here?” he asked.

            “Sure,” he shrugged.

            “Uh where do you go to school?”

            “I don’t.”

            “Huh? Why not?”

            “Can’t afford it.”   

            “Oh. That really sucks,” Jeremy muttered.

            Johnny stared at him for a second before asking, “do you live nearby?”

            “Yeah. We all do,” he replied, “I go to school with these guys. They formed this little party for tonight and let me come along with them. It was the first time they actually let me come. I guess they just got tired of me asking.”

            He smiled sadly as he stared at the floor. Johnny cocked his head but looked away.

            “So uh do you like classical music?” Jeremy asked.

            “Apparently,” Johnny shrugged, “it’s better than some other music I’ve heard.”

            “Yeah, I agree,” he nodded, “I like this way better than pop or rap.”   

            They talked for a few more minutes. Or, more accurately, Jeremy talked and Johnny just responded once in a while. It was awkward but not in a bad way.

            Then one of the kids in the circle stood up and approached the stereo. He started to reach for it, grumbling something about being sick of this noise. Johnny grabbed his arm and stopped him.

            “Leave it,” he grunted.

            “Let go of me,” the boy snapped.

            “Don’t change the music. It’s nice,” Johnny ordered.

            “It sucks,” he groaned, “I’m going to put on some better music.”

            “This is better than anything you could play,” he growled.

            “What do you know? You weren’t even invited! And neither was Jeremy! We just let him come cause we felt sorry for him,” the boy shouted, “now get out of here! You fucking freak!”

            Johnny snapped. He took out his pocketknife and cut open the boy’s forearm. Everyone started screaming as blood sprayed everywhere.

            A few minutes later, all of the kids except for Jeremy were cut up and covered in their own blood. They were kneeling in the middle of the room, crying and whimpering. Jeremy hadn’t moved an inch from his spot next to the stereo.

            Johnny was panting and covered in blood next to the group. He didn’t really remember hurting everyone, not that he cared.

            He took a deep breath and walked up to the stereo. He cranked the classical music and faced the group.

            “See? It’s not so bad, right? It’s nice, right?” he barked. The kids whimpered and nodded nervously.

            Johnny smiled and nodded as he leaned against the wall.

            “Why don’t you just kill them?”

            Johnny’s smile evaporated. He growled and rubbed his forehead. “Shut up. I’ll do what I want.”

            “Just kill them. They’re useless anyway.”

            “Don’t tell me what to do,” he barked.

            “Wh-who are you talking to?” Jeremy asked nervously. Johnny glared at him, causing him wince back.

            He looked away and grunted, “nobody.”

            “You want to kill them. So do it. Just look at them. They deserve it. They’re pathetic.”

            “I’ll kill who I want, when I want. You don’t get to decide,” Johnny shouted.

            “You’re crazy.”

            Johnny flinched. That voice didn’t come from his head. He looked at Jeremy and snarled at the terrified kid.

            “Yeah, I’m crazy. I’m fucking insane,” he snapped.

            “You don’t have to do this.”

            Jeremy’s mouth didn’t move. Johnny spun around and glared at the kids. “I know that. I do what I want.”

            “You need help.”

            “Shut up!” he barked and covered his ears. “You don’t know me!”

            “I know you all too well.”

            Johnny froze. He slowly looked to his right, at his reflection in a nearby window. At that moment he realized none of the kids said any of those things.

            He was talking to himself.

            Johnny’s face filled with pure horror. He fell to his knees and cupped his face.

            “I’m so confused!” he screamed hopelessly, “am I sane? Am I insane? What the fuck am I? How am I supposed to know?”

            He looked up and noticed everyone in the room was staring at him.

            “Stop looking at me!” he barked and punched the floor. He winced when he scrapped all of his knuckles right open.

            He lifted his hand and stared at the blood dripping down his arm.

            Tears started streaming down his face. He screamed with a dozen different emotions as he scrambled to his feet and raced outside. He wasn’t sure what he was running away from, or where he was running to. But he just kept running.

            He finally stopped when he reached the parking garage. He tumbled through the hole and crawled up to the third floor. He collapsed on his blanket and curled into a ball. A wet, shivering, whimpering, pathetic ball.

            Half a year. Over half a year he spent on the streets, living on his own with whatever he could get a hold of. He was stupid enough to think he had grown, to think he finally understood who he was. And yet here he was, sobbing and pathetic.

            What had changed those last six months? Nothing. He was still a lonely, sad, little kid. And that was never going to change.


	23. Fanatics 16.1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For years the High Skool have been the ultimate failures in their district. Zim plans to change that.

Fitness Competition Part One

 

            The morning bell rings and Miss Sweeties enters her classroom. She waits until her students are settled and quiet before beginning homeroom.

            “Good morning, class,” she sings.

            “Good morning, Miss Sweeties,” the class replies apathetically.

            “Alright, so I have some important news,” she announces, “for the rest of the week, until Saturday, classes for all ninth graders will be cancelled.”

            The students stare at her with confusion and surprise.

            “There is a catch,” she says quickly, “Saturday is the Fitness Competition.”

            The majority of the class groans, except for Squee, Pepito, and Zim.

            “Fitness Competition?” Zim questions, “why haven’t I heard of this?”

            “It’s only for ninth graders,” Dib replies, “and we’ve never won.”

            “We never win anything,” Jessica scoffs, “have you seen our trophy case? All we collect is cobwebs.”

            “Well, this year the Principal has hired a new Phys. Ed teacher and this week will be dedicated to him training all of you for the competition,” Miss Sweeties announces, “so all of you please head to the back field of the Skool.”

            Everyone sighs and grumbles as they leave the classroom and trek through the hallways.

            “I have a bad feeling,” Squee groans.

            “Aw, it won’t be so bad,” Pepito shrugs.

            They meet up with the other ninth grade class as they exit through the backdoor into the field. Zim, Dib, Pepito, and Squee notice Madeleine and stand next to her.

            “Hey, Maddie,” Pepito smiles.

            “Oh, hey, guys,” she says quietly.

            “Line up!”

            The students wince simultaneously before scrambling to line up, single file. Once everyone is settled, the gym coach presents himself. He’s a large, muscular man with white hair and one eye squeezed closed.

            “I am Sergeant Slab Rankle!” he announces with his booming voice.

            “Oh, no. This guy,” Zim groans.

            “You know him?” Dib asks.

            “I’ve met him once,” he replies.

            “I am the new Physical Education coach and I will be training all of you to win the upcoming Fitness Competition,” Rankle declares, “under my tutelage, there will be no physical event you will fail at. As long as you do exactly as I say, we will win the competition.”

            “Now, get changed!” he orders as he motions to small duffle bags. There are enough for every student. Inside each one is a training outfit: shorts and a muscle shirt.

            “You want us to wear this?” Brian questions, “it’s autumn. It’s like thirty degrees out here.”

            “Silence! Get changed!” Rankle barks and points at the two sheds at the far end of the field. One has a female symbol and the other has a male symbol.

            Everyone files into the respective shed. They quickly change into the training clothes and go back outside. They stay huddled together, shivering in the autumn chill.

“How can hyumans dress like this?” Zim hisses, “I feel so… vulnerable.”

            “I’m with Zim,” Squee grunts.

            “I don’t like it either,” Maddie mutters, “I hate being so exposed.”

            “Enough whining. You there!” Rankle snaps, pointing at Maddie. “Tie your hair back.”

            “What?” she whimpers.

            “How can you participate diligently if you cannot see?” he challenges.

            “I-I can see just fine,” she mumbles.

            “Tie it! Somebody lend her an elastic,” he orders.

            One of the girls hands her a hair elastic. Her fingers tremble slightly as she pushes back her long bangs and ties her hair into a ponytail.

            Everyone stares at her in awe. This is the first time any of them have gotten a look at her face, and boy is she pretty, with her rosy cheeks, brown eyes, round face. But it’s hard to enjoy how attractive she is, when she looks so nervous and scared.

            Zim growls and faces Rankle. He’s had enough of this.

            “You shouldn’t force her to tie her hair back when she doesn’t want to,” he snaps, “she’d be much more comfortable with it down, and if she’s comfortable she’ll work better. And that goes for the rest of us. If we don’t want to wear these tiny, exposing uniforms, you shouldn’t make us.”

            “Quiet!” Rankle barks, “you will do as I say. Now all of you, do fifty push-ups!”

            Everyone just stands there, awkward and unsure.

            “Now!”

            Their instinct to obey authority that was beaten into them by society suddenly kicks in, and they have no choice but to follow his orders. They drop to the ground and begin doing push-ups. But most of them cannot even accomplish three.

            “You are all pathetic!” Rankle shouts, “it will be a miracle if I can whip you into shape before the end of the week.”

            “Why are we doing push-ups?” Zim asks, “that won’t be an event in the competition.”

            “We are strength training,” he replies, “now stop questioning me and just obey.”

            Zim growls but does as he says.

            For the next eight hours, minus lunch and short breaks, the kids are forced to do nothing but exercise. When the final bell finally rings, they are broken, exhausted, and sprawled out around the field, too tired to even leave the Skool grounds.

            “Be here tomorrow morning and we will continue,” Rankle demands before walking through the Skool’s backdoor. None of the kids reply in any way, not even a grunt.

            Zim is the first to pull himself together. He sits up and glares at the door, as if Rankle was still there.

            “This is ridiculous and pointless,” he snarls, “he’s not training us. He’s just tearing us apart. We’ll all be too exhausted for the competition; we won’t have a chance at winning.”

            “So what?” Carl scoffs, “past classes have never won before. We’ve never won anything. Why even try?”

            “We’ve never won because Zim was never involved,” he smirks as he jumps to his feet. “Forget doing this Rankle’s way, we’re going to do it my way.”

            “How is that any better?” Chunk asks.

            “Because! First of all!” Zim snaps, “I won’t force anyone to do anything they don’t want to. So if anyone doesn’t want to take part in the competition, then you won’t have to.”

            “Zim,” Dib grunts as he sits up. “It’s fine if you want to take over, but it’s easier said than done. What about Rankle?”  
            “I can easily get rid of him for the time being,” Zim shrugs.

            “Alright. But what about Skool?”

            “Classes have been cancelled for us until after the competition. We don’t even have to show up.”

            “But then where will we prepare?”

            “Leave it all to me,” he concludes.

            “Uh,” Dib breathes, speechless.

            “It’s settled. Zim is in charge,” Zim declares proudly as he marches to the changing sheds. “Everyone get changed, head home, and rest up. I will find a nice, warm place for us to train and send you all the address tonight via text messages. If you want to participate, then be at the place tomorrow at nine. That is all.”

            He enters the shed, slamming the door behind him. The kids stare after him, bewildered and speechless. Then, one by one they start standing up and enter their respective changing sheds. They change into their street clothes and head home.

 

            Slab Rankle enters his bathroom and flicks on the light. He looks at himself in the mirror and smirks.

            “You did good today, Slab Rankle,” he states, “those kids would be nothing without you. With you as their coach, they will break records. You are a star!”

            “That’s a laugh.”

            Rankle spins around with surprise. Standing in his open window is a short, thin green alien with wide pink eyes and long antennae.

            “What? You- you look familiar,” he growls.

            “I’m sure I do,” Zim nods as he hops onto the floor.

            “What do you want?” Rankle snaps.

            “You, Slab Rankle, are no star,” Zim scoffs, “you are a liability to my peers. And if we are to win this Fitness Competition, you must be taken out of the picture. Don’t worry, it will only be temporary… maybe.”

            “What? How do you know about the Fitness Competition?” he exclaims.

            “You don’t have to worry about that,” Zim smirks as behind him, two small figures rise out of the darkness: a robot with glowing blue eyes and a tiny, moose creature.

            They lunge at Rankle, and he doesn’t even have time to scream before they knock him out.

 

            “Is this it?” Johnny asks as he pulls the car over.

            “This is the address,” Squee replies.

            “Alright,” he shrugs and parks the car.

            “Thanks for driving me here,” he smiles as he hops out. “I’ll call you when I’m ready to come home.”

            “Okay. Um, have fun, I guess,” Johnny grunts.

            “I’ll try,” he mutters before closing the door.

            A few feet away, Pepito is hopping out of his car and saying goodbye to his mom. They meet up and stare at the large, slightly rundown warehouse before them.

            “What exactly does Zim think he’s up to?” Pepito asks.

            “I don’t know. But we’re his friends, so we should support him, right?” Squee shrugs.

            Pepito only grunts in response as they enter the building.

           The inside is actually pretty clean and was probably completely empty at one point. But now, Gir- in his dog suit- is setting up different exercise equipment. There’s a treadmill, a couple of weights, some balls and Frisbees, and a bunch of other stuff.

            Zim is sitting with Dib on an exercise mat in the middle of the room. They’re just talking.

            Zim quickly notices Squee and Pepito walk in.

            “Hey, guys!” he chimes as he jumps to his feet. “I’m glad you came.”

            “Just for the record, I’m only here because Squee said he was coming,” Pepito states.

            “Nobody else is here,” Squee observes.

            “No, but there’s still some time before nine,” Zim says.

            “Do you really think anyone else is going to come?” Pepito asks.

            “Well…” Zim trails off and rubs his neck. “E-even if nobody else comes, we can still definitely win with just the four of us.”

            Dib, Pepito, and Squee groan with uncertainty. They take a seat on the mat and wait patiently for more people to hopefully show up.

            Nine o’clock slowly rolls around and so far no one else has come. The boys are starting to feel a little let down, especially Zim, but he refuses to let it show.

            Then the door suddenly creaks open.

            “Hello?” Maddie calls as she peeks in.

            “Madeleine!” Zim exclaims as he jumps to his feet. “You came.”

            “Well, I-I don’t know if I can help at all but you did stand up for me yesterday,” she says, “so I wanted to come.”

            “Hey, is this really the place?” Jessica asks as she pokes her head around Maddie.

            “Jessica. You’re here too?” Pepito questions.

            “Yeah, well, there’s nothing better to do,” she shrugs.

            After that, more people start to file in. Almost everyone in the grade nine classes shows up. Zim smiles as he watches them, a bright feeling growing in his chest.

            “Alright. I’m glad you could all make it,” he says as he faces them all.

            “What are we even doing here?” Chunk asks.

            “This is where we’re going to train and practice,” Zim replies, “but first, we must go over the situation.

            His PAK opens up and a stack of papers is carried out by one of his spider legs. He grabs them and leafs through them.

            “Here I have details and a list of the events for the Fitness Competition,” he announces.

            “Where’d you get those?” Squee asks.

            “From Slab Rankle,” Zim replies, “now then. The Fitness Competition is literally what it says: a competition of fitness, pitting the ninth graders of our school district against each other. It is us from the High Skool, verses North Arc, verses G.F Hiller, verses Saint Double U’s.”

            “Saint Double U’s,” Poonchy scoffs, “bunch of rich snobs.”

            “Plus they’ve one every single Fitness Competition in the past,” Zita points out.

            “Not this one,” Zim declares, “moving on. The challengers are awarded points. Which rank you get in which challenge all depends on how many points you get. The team with the most points wins the competition. I did the math and all we gotta do is get first in at least eight of the eleven challenges.”

            “Easier said than done,” Rob grunts, “our Skool has never even gotten third in the challenge.”

            “That’s because we’ve never taken part in it before,” Zim says, “they’ve never dealt with our class.”

            “Well, that is true,” Pepito shrugs.

            “Now, here’s the training regime,” Zim announces, “I will split you all into three groups: strength, speed, and back-up. Everyone in the strength team will do the strength events: shotput, hammer throw, discus. Everyone in the speed team will do the running events- 100m dash, hurdles, relay- and the jumping events too, such as high jump and long jumps. The back-up team will have back-up competitors, in case somebody gets injured. They will also provide team support, which is very important. We will base who goes where on what you’re better at.”

            “What most people don’t understand is that the most important thing for physical exertion is stamina,” he explains, “so you can run really fast? But what good does that do you if you can’t maintain that speed for a long period of time. That’s how we will decide on the strength and speed groups: based on how much stamina you have. Squee, get on the treadmill!”

            “What?” Squee questions.

            “Go on,” Zim smiles. Squee looks at him with uncertainty but gets on the treadmill all the same.

            “Squee here is the fastest runner in the Skool. Maybe in the city,” Zim states, “so we will be basing your speed and stamina against his.”

            “Are you kidding? That geek’s going to determine our team?” Chunk scoffs.

            “Uh, Zim,” Squee mutters.

            “It’s alright. Just let your speed do the talking,” Zim says reassuringly.

            Squee shrugs. He rests Shmee on the control panel of the machine and sets it to just above jogging speed. He starts running, comfortably and easily.

            Ten minutes go by and Squee is still maintaining that same speed without even breaking a sweat. He isn’t showing a single sign of exhaustion. He’s even running with his hands in his pockets.

            “Wow,” the class breathes.

            “I don’t expect any of you to run like Squee, but if you can at least come close, then you will be put on the speed team,” Zim says, “so who wants to try?”

            Almost everyone lines up at the treadmill. The next two and a half hours are spent thinning them out. Not even half of them can run for five minutes straight. But the ones who come close are the ones who make the cut.

            “Alright, Jessica, Aki, and Poonchy. You three are on the speed team with Squee,” Zim declares.

            The four of them sit together and smile somewhat awkwardly.

            “Next we got strength,” he says as he walks over to the weights. “Strength is the same deal as speed. You may be able to hold heavy things, but can you hold them for a long time?” He picks up the barbell with the two hundred pound weights and holds it above his head. “We will base you against me and my strength and stamina.”

            Zim holds the barbell above his head for about five minutes before he starts straining. Then he drops it and stretches. “Alright. Who wants to give it a go?”

            A lot less people line up for the weights then they did the treadmill, and more struggle with it. But after about an hour, the team is decided.

            “Pepito, Dib, and Chunk,” Zim announces, “you will be on the strength team with me.”

            “Oh, yeah,” Pepito smirks as he flexes his bicep.

            “Everyone else, you will be on the back-up team,” Zim says, “but don’t let this discourage you. You have the important role of providing team spirit, keeping our confidence up and such. You also have to be on your toes, ready to take over if somebody is unable to participate.”

            “Now that’s enough training for today,” he decides, “come back tomorrow at the same time and we will officially begin practice. Until then, rest up and prepare.”

            The kids leave slowly. Some of them are grumbling but most are excited. Zim is really surprising them. Who would’ve thought he could take charge so well?

            The next few days are spent practicing and planning at the warehouse. They decide who will take part in what event and practice for it. They don’t have all the proper equipment but they make do just fine. They improve quite well until finally Saturday rolls around.

            They meet up at the Skool and wait for the bus that will take them to Saint Double U’s High School, where the competition will take place.

            Most of the ninth graders are sitting in the grass of the front lawn. They’re dressed really mismatched, some of them in pants or shorts, others in sweaters or t-shirts. They talk quietly as others show up.

            “You guys nervous?” Pepito asks.

            “A little,” Squee shrugs.

            “Maybe, yeah,” Dib mutters.

            “There’s no reason to be,” Zim says, “we got this.”

            “Hey, Zim,” Zita chimes as she runs up to him. There are some more girls behind her. They’re all holding plastic bags filled with some sort of fabric.

            “What?” he questions.

            “We were put on the back-up team, but we thought we could promote team spirit like you said,” she explains as she reaches into her bag. “So we made these.”

            She pulls out a black jersey with Zim’s name on the front and High Skool on the back. The kids beam when they see it.

            “Awesome,” Zim smirks when he takes it.

            “We made you all one,” Zita says as they pull out everyone’s jersey. They all have the competitors name on the front and High Skool on the back, like Zim’s.

            “These are so cool,” Poonchy chimes.

            They quickly change their shirts for the jerseys, except for Zim and Squee who just pull them on over their original shirts.

            “Now we definitely look like a team,” Jessica smiles.

            “This is gonna be great,” Pepito smirks.

            The bus arrives not long after that. Everyone boards it and waits patiently as they drive to Saint Double U’s. But there’s a buzz of excitement in the air. They can’t wait to get this competition started. It’s going to be amazing.


	24. Fanatics 16.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zim unites his classmates to prove to everyone that even they can be winners.

Fitness Competition Part Two

 

            The bus holding the High Skool ninth graders pulls up outside Saint Double U’s High School building. They stare at with awe. It’s much bigger and more elegant looking than their Skool.    

            “It sure is… intimidating,” Squee comments.

            “Well, it is the most expensive school in the city,” Aki points out.

            “Don’t let it throw you off,” Zim demands, “we are more rugged so we are stronger.”

            “Whatever you want to believe,” Pepito shrugs.

            They get off the bus and march through the school’s doors. They follow the signs through the hallway and out into the large backyard.

            There are bleachers on the left side of the field where the families and friends of the competitors are sitting. Johnny, Devi, Tenna, Professor Membrane, Skoodge, and Rose- Pepito’s mom- are sitting in the one labeled ‘High Skool’ along with the families of the other competitors.

            The equipment is set up in the middle of the field. On the right side are benches and refreshments for the competitors. And on the far right corner is a table where an announcer is sitting.

            “Alright, good luck, you guys,” Zita says as she and the other ninth graders hurry to the bleachers. Zim, Dib, Pepito, Squee, Jessica, Aki, Poonchy, and Chunk march to the competitor’s side and sit on a bench.

            “Welcome, everyone, to the seventh annual Fitness Competition,” the announcer shouts into his mic. A few people cheer. “This year we have four schools competing: Saint Double U’s, G.F Hiller, High Skool, and North Arc. Oh and would you look at that. The High Skool competitors are wearing matching jerseys. How cute.”

            Some of the audience giggle the same way one would giggle when watching something cute and somewhat sad, like a puppy trying to walk.

            “They pity us,” Dib mutters.

            “Not for long,” Zim snarls.

            “Well, let’s get right into. The first event is the 100 meter dash. Competitors take your place at the starting line.”

            “Alright, Squee, you’re up,” Zim announces.

            “Uh, right,” Squee whimpers. He looks around nervously. “There sure are a lot of people.”

            “Don’t worry about it,” Pepito smiles, “we practiced this, remember? Just ignore everyone and focus on running.”

            Squee takes a deep breath. “Right.” He rests Shmee on the bench and marches up to the starting line with three other runners. They are much taller than he is.

            “Runners, take your position,” the announcer orders. The competitors crouch down and rest their feet against the pegs. But Squee is surprised to see that he is too short to reach them.

            The other runners chuckle mockingly. Zim and Pepito growl at them, insulted on Squee’s behalf.

            “Easy, guys,” Dib coos, “let Squee’s speed do the talking.”

            Squee takes his breath and settles his nerves. The horn goes off, signalling the start of the race and he takes off like a bullet. The others are almost too stunned to start.

            He crosses the finish line almost blindingly fast. And he’s not even panting when he stops. The others finish the race a few seconds after him, but who even cares at this point.

            “How surprising!” the announcer exclaims, “Squee C of the High Skool has taken first place in the 100 meter dash, and probably broke a couple records.”  

            Most of the audience claps respectfully, except for everyone in the High Skool seats. They cheer excitedly and chant Squee’s name. He smiles, proudly and bashfully.

            He walks up to his team. They all congratulate him and pat his back.

            “Good job, Squee,” Zim smirks.

            “Thanks,” he smiles.

            “Next up is shot put,” the announcer announces.

            “Shot put. Pepito, that’s you,” Zim states.

            “Yes!” Pepito cheers. He straightens his beanie and marches up to the course. “Sup,” he smirks at the other competitors.

            They take turns. First is Saint Double U’s, followed by North Arc, then G.F. Hiller, and finally Pepito. Unlike the 100 meter dash, shot put is fairly close. They’re all only a couple inches apart. But Pepito is still the farthest.

            “Pepito Diablo of the High Skool gets first place,” the announcer declares, “this is incredible. The High Skool has never done so well before. But it is only the first two events.”

            Pepito smirks victoriously as he marches off the course, relishing in the cheers and applause.

            “Good job,” Squee smiles as he sits down.

            “Thank you,” he purrs.

            “110 meter hurdles are next,” the announcer says.

            “Hurdles. You’re up, Jessica,” Zim orders, “show us what you’ve got.”

            “You bet,” Jessica smirks.

            She takes her place at the starting line and gets into a crouching position with the rest of the competitors.

            The race starts and they take off. She keeps a steady pace and clears each hurdle with relative ease. Her long, slender legs don’t even nudge the barriers. But she has to push herself to get to the front of the pack, and she only manages to get second.

            “Dennis Mayer of Saint Double U’s get first place,” the announcer states. The cheering is much louder than when Squee or Pepito got first place.

            “Second place,” Pepito nods, “not bad.”

            “It’s not great,” Jessica scoffs.

            “It’s still good,” Squee shrugs.

            “Don’t worry. We can get second or third in at least three more challenges,” Zim says.

            “Next is triple jump,” the announcer says.

            “Triple jump. Aki, you want it?” Zim asks.

            “Yeah,” she nods and marches up to the course.

            The scores are close, just like with shot put. But thanks to Aki’s agility, she manages to get first place by a couple inches. She walks back to the team, smiling proudly as they praise her.

            The next challenge is javelin throw. Zim does this one, and of course gets first place. Anything less would be unworthy of the great Zim.

            “Easy. Reminds me of my training days,” he gloats as he marches back to the team.

            “Okay, we’re going to take a small break now,” the announcer says, “competitors, feel free to use the facilities and rest your muscles.”

            “Alright, we’re doing great here,” Zim smirks, “at this rate we will definitely get the championship.”

            “Yeah, good job, everyone,” Dib smiles.

            “We’re awesome,” Poonchy cheers.

            The kids sit themselves on the bench and relax while drinking lots of water. A few of them head to their change room to use the toilet or change into lighter clothes.

            Squee notices the competitors from G.F. Hiller glancing at them multiple times. They’re whispering about something, and have odd smirks on their faces.

            “What are they saying?” he asks Shmee.

            “They’re discussing sabotage,” he replies, “they want to sneak into your change room and mess with your guys’ stuff.”

            “Zim,” Squee whispers, “the guys from G.F. Hiller want to sneak into our change room.”

            “Do they now?” Zim snarls, “how do you know?”

            “Shmee can hear them. You can’t?”

            “No. This wig and all of this background noise is muffling my hearing,” Zim grunts then smirks, “but don’t worry. I positioned a bodyguard at our change room door for just this sort of emergency.”

            Meanwhile, a couple guys from G.F. Hiller walk into the school and sneak their way to the High Skool’s change room. They’re surprised to see a young, purple haired girl standing there. She looks up from her Game Slave and squints at them.

            “Who are you?” one of the boy’s asks.

            “Gaz,” she replies, “who are you?”

            “Don’t worry about it. Just get out of our way,” he demands.

            “You aren’t from my Skool,” she growls.

            He ignores her and reaches for the door. She grabs his arm and twists it around. He exclaims in pain and falls the ground.

            “Beat it,” she snaps.

            The boys whimper before racing away.

            Dib pokes his head out of the door and looks around. “What was that?”

            “Nothing,” Gaz replies as she goes back to playing her game.

           The break ends and everyone returns to the field and prepares for the next set of challenges. The High Skool students are the most hyped up. They’ve never gotten this close to winning before.

            “Okay, next is high jump,” Zim says, “who wants it?”

            “Oh, me!” Poonchy chimes.

            “Alright, get up there,” he nods. Poonchy cheers and races to the course.

            The competitors take turns jumping the pole. It goes steady for a bit, then G.F. Hiller is the first to knock it down, followed by North Arc until it’s Poonchy going up against Saint Double U’s jumper.

            It almost looks like the challenge could go on forever. Poonchy and his opponent are a near even match. But Saint Double U’s competitor fails first and knocks the pole off, declaring Poonchy the winner.

            “Well done,” Aki smiles.

            “Thanks, it was fun,” Poonchy beams as he sits down.

            Next is discus. Dib takes this one. With his above average strength and his above superior knowledge, he’s able to get first place quite easily. The others don’t even come close to him.

            He laughs victoriously and with much arrogance as he walks back to the team.

            “Good job, Dib,” Squee smiles as he sits down.

            “Thanks,” he smirks.

            “Up next is the 400 meter dash,” the announcer says.

            “Alright, Squee. That’s you again,” Zim orders.

            “Okay,” Squee nods and walks up to the track. Almost the same runners are there from the 100 meter dash, except for Saint Double U’s. Someone new is racing for them. But Squee doesn’t really notice or care.

            The horn sounds and the racers take off. As expected, Squee is in the lead. But then Saint Double U’s runner starts catching up amazingly quick. Pretty soon they’re neck and neck.

            Squee looks over at him and they make eye contact. The opponent grins, showing off a pair of very sharp fangs.

            A shiver runs up Squee’s spine. His feet get tangled up and he trips, slamming face first into the dirt and skidding a couple inches. Everyone gasps with surprise and a few laugh mockingly.

            Squee gets up on his knees and winces at the scrapes on his cheek and hands. He looks back with surprise at the other racers as they start catching up. He scrambles to his feet and continues running. He’s not able to catch up to Saint Double U’s racer though, and only gets second.

            “Jeff Von of Saint Double U’s gets first place,” the announcer shouts. Most of the audience cheers.

            Squee cringes in pain as he pinches his bleeding hands in his armpits and trudges back to his team.

            “Are you okay?” Pepito asks worriedly.

            “Yeah, I’m fine, I-I guess,” Squee replies, “I’m sorry, Zim.”

            “Don’t worry about it,” Zim says, “go clean up.”

            Squee nods and hurries to the change room. Johnny, Devi, and Tenna quickly slide of the bleachers and follow him.

“That kid was really fast,” Jessica mutters.

“It must’ve thrown Squee off,” Dib says, “otherwise he would’ve won.”

            “No, I think it was something else,” Pepito muses, “Squee looked really freaked out.”

            “Next up is long jump,” the announcer says.

             “Jessica, you wanna give it a go?” Zim asks.

            “Yeah! I gotta redeem myself,” she replies and jogs up to the course.

            It’s another close one. The challengers are only inches apart. But Jessica gets her wish and wins first place for her team.

            She smirks and saunters back to them. They all smile and congratulate her.

            Squee is back a few seconds after. He has gauze wrapped around his hands and a bandage on his right cheek, covering the worst of the scrapes on his face.

            “Where’d you get the bandages?” Aki asks.

            “Johnny always carries first aid supplies,” Squee replies.

            “He must be really cautious,” Poonchy comments.

            “Sure,” he shrugs, “anyway, how are we doing?”

            “I just got first place on long jump,” Jessica beams.

            “Good job,” he smiles.

            “Next is hammer throw,” Zim says, “that’s you, Chunk.”

            “Finally,” Chunk groans and marches up to the course.

            Squee flinches when he notices standing with the other competitors that Jeff Von kid.

            “Shmee?” he questions.

            “I don’t sense anything evil from him,” Shmee says, “but it’s not good either.”

            “What’s wrong, Squee?” Pepito asks.

            “That Jeff Von,” Squee replies, “I get a really bad feeling from him.”

            The challenge begins. F.G. Hiller’s competitor goes first, and then North Arc. Chunk is third and he throws way farther than the first two. Zim and the others smile excitedly, believing they’ll easily get first place in this one.

            Then Jeff Von steps up. He grabs the handle with one hand and tosses it. It flies almost halfway across the field and creates a small crater when it lands.

            Everyone is speechless. The first ones to break the silence with their applause and cheers are the Saint Double U’s students.

            “D-did you see that?” Poonchy questions.

            “He threw it like it weighed nothing!” Dib exclaims.

            “Who is that guy?” Aki asks.

            “I don’t know,” Squee replies, “but whoever he is, he isn’t human.”

            “Yeah. With strength like that, how could he be?” Jessica scoffs. She, Poonchy, and Aki laugh like it’s a joke, but Pepito, Dib, and Zim stare at Squee, incredibly serious.

            “Second place,” Chunk snaps angrily.

            “It’s fine. We’re still in the lead,” Zim says.

            “But the 4x400 meter relay’s next. And if we get second or third, we’ll be tied with Saint Double U’s,” Dib points out, “what happens then?”

            “A sudden death round,” Jessica replies.

            “That wouldn’t be so bad,” Squee muses.

            “If it comes to that, then fine. But we can still win this,” Zim states, “Poonchy, Jessica, Squee, you’re with me. Prepare yourselves.”

            “Finally we have the 4x400 meter relay!” the announcers says excitedly, “this challenge will decide the rankings of the schools for the Fitness Competition. Racers, take your place on the track.”

            Poonchy starts the finish line, then Jessica is at the second point, Squee at the third, and Zim is last. Beside him, along with the other runners from F.G. Hiller and North Arc, is Jeff Von. Zim openly glares at him. Jeff just smiles politely.

            The horn sounds and the racers take off. Poonchy remains at a steady speed with his opponents and they finish at nearly the same time. They pass the baton off to their teammate and the second round begins.

            Jessica isn’t as fast as Poonchy but she doesn’t allow herself to lag behind. She pushes herself to get to second place.

            Squee watches her come up and takes a deep breath, calming his nerves. As soon as he feels the baton hit his palm, he takes off.

             He’s much faster than his opponents, and would pretty much solidify their place in first when he reaches Zim, if it wasn’t for Jeff Von.

            He catches up quick and he and Zim run neck and neck for a few seconds. Then Jeff actually starts passing him.

            Zim watches him bewildered. He’s never seen a human run so fast. No wonder he threw Squee off. He almost throws Zim off too. But amongst the normal, generic cheering going on, he notices something. He can hear his name being called.

“You can do it, Zim!” “You got this, Zim!” “Come on, Zim!” His team is cheering for him. Not just the competitors, but the ones in the audience too. They all believe in him.

            He sighs, a smirk spreading across his face. His short legs start to move faster. He catches up to Jeff and begins to overtake him, just before they reach the finish line.

            “Zim of the High Skool takes first place!” the announcer shouts, “the High Skool has won the Fitness Competition!”

           

            “Cheers!”

            The High Skool ninth graders are back at their Skool, in the front yard celebrating over orange juice, watermelon, and hotdogs supplied by the parents. They all clash their cups of juice together in a celebratory manner over their newly and first ever won trophy.         

            They chug their drinks and begin congratulating each other on a job well done. They’re all so excited. Their Skool has never won anything before until now. They’ve won their first ever trophy! What an ego boost!

            Zim is the first to split from the celebration. He leaves the Skool yard and sits on the curb next to Gaz, who is playing her Game Slave. He sighs and stares at the darkening sky as the sun begins to set. Dib, Pepito, and Squee soon join him, and they sit quietly on the ground while their peers party behind them.

            Squee looks back and watches them. They’re all getting along. Popular girls are laughing with non-popular girls, jocks are complimenting nerds. It’s like cliques don’t even exist right now. Things will probably go back to normal on Monday, but right now they’re treating each other like equals and comrades.

            He smiles. “You know, Zim. If this is your way of ‘taking over the world’, then I’m all for it.”

            “Really?” Zim exclaims happily, “then you think I make a good leader?”

            “I wouldn’t go that far,” Pepito laughs, “but your ambitions and determination are admirable. And you have a lot of good ideas.”

            “He’s half right,” Dib says, “I think you make a great leader.”

            “Nobody likes a kiss-ass, Dib,” Gaz grunts.

            Zim, Pepito, and Squee laugh.

            “But you know, it’s not just you who deserves all the praise,” Pepito points out, “we were pretty awesome too. I mean, Squee could’ve easily given up after that fall he took, but he just kept going. And I totally killed it at shot put.”

            “Yeah. And I was amazing at discus,” Dib adds, “and Gaz too. She was a great bodyguard.”

            “You’re damn right I was,” she nods, “you still owe me for that.”

            “Alright, alright. You guys did pretty good,” Zim admits, “but it was my leadership skills that made you that way.”

            They laugh and give each other a hard time, the way best friends do. And as the sun sets on this amazing day, and the other students all head home, the five of them remain on the curb for a few hours more, laughing, coddling, and just enjoying each other’s company.


	25. Fanatics 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wrote this when I was into Five Nights at Freddy's a few years back.

Five Hours at Bloaty’s

 

            Johnny parks his car outside of Bloaty’s Pizza Hog at 11:30 pm. Why? Because a few minutes earlier, Devi and Tenna called him, demanding he come get some pizza. They wouldn’t take no for an answer and if he didn’t show up, he would never hear the end of it.

            That’s why he’s at Bloaty’s Pizza Hog at 11:30 pm.

            He growls as he steps out of his car and walks up to the building. It’s closing in like less than half an hour so it’s pretty dead, the only movement being Devi and Tenna, the employees, and the animatronics.

            “Hey, you came!” Tenna exclaims happily.

            “Yeah. I don’t know why though,” Johnny grumbles.

            “Who can resist pizza?” she questions.

            “Squee, apparently,” Devi replies, “why didn’t he come?”

            “The animatronics freak him out,” Johnny answers.

            She looks at the moose robot with the large metal claws as it constantly walks into the wall.

            “Yeah, I could understand that,” she nods.

            They stand at the counter as they wait for their order when the bell rings and someone else walks in. They don’t pay much attention to them until they hear a shrill squeal.

            “Oh my gosh, I love your hair!” a girl exclaims as she ogles Devi’s pigtails.

            “Oh, uh, thank you,” Devi replies uncertainly.

            “Oh, hi, Johnny,” she smiles and waves.

            “Hello, Sage,” he grunts.

            “You know her?” Devi asks.

            “She’s my neighbor,” he replies.

            “Johnny. What are you doing here?” Sage’s boyfriend, Shane, asks.

            “Well, clearly I’m hunting dinosaurs,” Johnny snarls.

            “I just didn’t think you actually ate food,” Shane clarifies, “I thought you lived off the siphoned misery of all who have the displeasure of being around you.”

            “You know, it’s dangerous to use one’s whole vocabulary in a single sentence,” he retorts.

            “Okay, settle down, guys,” Sage orders, “we’re all here for midnight pizza, so let’s try to get along.”

            Johnny and Shane growl at each other before looking away angrily.

            The bell rings again as another customer walks in. Johnny looks back and groans with disgust.

            “Oh, great. Is everyone I hate gonna come here?” he growls.

            “That’s very mature,” Amanda snaps, “if Emily wasn’t begging for Bloaty’s pizza, I’d go somewhere else.”

            “Oh, wow, this is like a Grave Road neighborhood meeting,” Tenna smiles.

            “Except the Evans aren’t here,” Amanda points out.

            “They’re the smart ones,” Johnny grunts, “except maybe Lloyd.”

            “Alright, folks, we’re gonna be closing soon,” the greasy cashier announces.

            “Not until I get my pizza!” Shane snaps.

            “Don’t worry. You’ll all get your pizza,” he groans.

            They sit at the tables as they wait for their midnight dinner. Amanda sits with Shane and Sage. They all ignore Johnny, and he ignores them.

            “Your neighbors don’t seem to like you,” Tenna points out.

            “Can you blame them?” Devi scoffs.

            “That’s fine. I don’t like them either,” Johnny grunts.

            The groups talk quietly amongst themselves, barely noticing the employee walking over pig animatronic.

            “Okay, time to shut you guys off,” she mutters as she opens its control panel. She starts to hit the off button, but it starts walking away from her. “Hey. Sit still.” She chases after it and lunges for the button, but misses and instead just whacks the controls.

            The pig freezes as it starts sparking. The employee steps back, surprised and anxious.

            It suddenly spins around and grips the employee by her neck. She screams with surprise before it snaps her like a twig, and tosses her to the floor like an old napkin.

            Johnny and the others stare at it, bewildered and speechless.

            “Holy shit,” Johnny breathes.

            The pig starts walking towards them, twitching and sparking. As it moves past the other animatronics, the sparks land on them, triggering the same reaction. They all start marching menacingly.

            Sage screams as everyone jumps out of their chairs and move back. They press against the counter, huddled close in fear.

            “Hey! Do something!” Devi snaps as the cashier.

            “Uh, uh, right,” he squeaks. He grabs the store phone and quickly dials a number.

            “911? Please, help! They’re gonna kill us!” he shouts, “we’re at Bluh-.”

            Before he’s able to finish, the octopus robot jumps through the air and lands on his face, wrapping his head up in its tentacles. The employee drops the phone, his screams muffled by the metal appendages, before it squeezes his head to mush.

            The 911 operator’s voice can be heard through the receiver. The octopus grabs the phone and rips it out of the hall, silencing her.

            “Oh my god,” Amanda whimpers.

            “Quick! Everyone get to the door!” Devi snaps.

            They start to rush past the animatronics and to the front door, but the chipmunk- squirrel?- cuts them off. It glares at them with its unnerving, lifeless eyes, freezing them in place.

            Everyone winces when the lights suddenly shut off. They look at the wall and notice the moose’s hand has punctured it and torn up the cables. They have no power.

            “This way,” Shane shouts as he points to the back. Everyone spins around and jumps the counter but the octopus is there to meet them. It lunges at them but Johnny catches it by its tentacles. He holds it away for a second before throwing it over the counter.

            He pants and glares at the robots as they slowly but menacingly march closer.

            “Johnny, come on!” Devi barks as she tugs him by the back of his shirt. He turns and races with them to the back of the store.

            They stop when they reach the kitchen. It’s pitch black and they can’t see a thing. They enter it and walk cautiously.

            “There’s gotta be a back door or something,” Amanda says.

            “Wait, we can’t just run away,” Tenna argues.

            “She’s right. We can’t leave those things,” Devi adds, “what if they get out? They’ll kill a whole bunch of people!”

            “Don’t be a hero,” Shane grunts, “let the authorities handle it.”

           “By the time they show up, it’ll be too late! We need to stop them now!” she insists, “Johnny, you agree with me, right?”

            He doesn’t reply. He simply grabs a large knife off the counter and snarls, “I’m taking those assholes out.”

            “You’re crazy!” Sage exclaims.

            “That’s irrelevant,” he grunts as he strides back to the doorway.

            “Whoa, hold on,” Devi orders and pulls him back. “You can’t just go out there swinging. We gotta be smart about this. Who knows how much damage they can take?”

            “What do you think we should do then?” he asks.

            “Um,” she mumbles.

            “Their control panels,” Tenna points out, “if we can get to them, we might be able to just shut them off.”

            “They’re short circuiting. Their control panels might not even work,” Amanda argues.

            They argue amongst themselves about what to do. Johnny watches them, irritated. Then he notices a pair of red, glowing eyes behind Amanda.

            “Amanda, look out!” he exclaims.

            She spins around just as the walrus- or something, I’m not really sure- tackles her to the ground. She grabs its head and barely manages to hold it away from her.

            “Someone get this thing off of me!” she barks.

            Tenna roundhouse kicks it into the wall. It sparks and charges her. Johnny lunges forward and body checks it. It glares at him and starts to attack, but he dodges and stabs it in the head. The blade cuts through a whole bunch of wires, electrocuting him. He rips his hand off the handle and stumbles back.

            “Ah, fuck,” he snarls and grips his burnt palm.

            The walrus faces them. It twitches and sparks madly as it walks towards them, the knife still in its head.

            “Guys! This way, quick,” Sage says as she points to an open door. Everyone quickly dashes towards her and through the door. They close it and look around.

            They’re in some sort of short hallway. But it’s hard to tell which way to go in the dark.

            “Does anyone have some sort of flashlight or something?” Johnny asks.

           “Hang on,” Devi grunts. She pulls out her cellphone, as do Tenna, Sage, Shane, and Amanda. They turn them on and use them as a light source.

            “There’s got to be a back door somewhere,” Amanda hisses as they cautiously walk down the hall. Johnny lags behind them, blowing on his burnt hand.

            “Jeez, let me see,” Devi snaps as she takes his hand. “I told you to not swing so mindlessly. Squee’s gonna be pissed.”

            “It’s fine. It’ll be healed by morning,” Johnny grunts.

            “Hey, lovebirds,” Tenna calls, “we found a way out.”

            They quickly catch up with the rest of the group as Shane attempts to open a door labeled ‘Fire Escape.’

            “It’s locked,” he groans.

            “Why is a fire escape locked?” Sage questions.

            “It probably only opens when the sprinklers are activated,” Devi says.

            “That should be easy enough to do. Does anyone have a lighter?” Tenna asks.

            “We are not starting a fire,” Amanda scolds.

            “Boring,” Tenna sighs.

            They all flinch at a pounding sound from the door to the kitchen. Something’s smashing against it.

            They huddle together behind Johnny and whimper with fear.

            The pig suddenly smashes through the door, followed by its animatronic army. They glare at the humans, their eyes glowing red in the darkness.

            “Johnny! Get their control panels!” Devi orders.

            “Why me?” he questions.

            “You’re the only one crazy enough to fight them!” she replies.

            “Wrong!” Tenna sings as she charges forward.  She jumps into the air and high kicks the pig in its head. There’s a loud ‘clang’ as her leg connects with metal, sending him stumbling to the side.

            “Ow ow ow,” she whimpers and grips her shin. “That hurt.”

            “What did you expect?” Johnny grunts.

            “Like you’re one to talk,” she retorts.

            “Duck!” he snaps. She drops to her knees as she punches the moose in the face.

            “Ugh, fuck,” he grunts as he grips his throbbing knuckles.

            “You guys realize you’re trying to beat up metal, right?” Shane questions.

            “Shut up!” Johnny and Tenna snap simultaneously.

            “Watch out!” Devi cries.

            The octopus lunges at them. They manage to jump out of the way, but one of its tentacles gets a hold of Johnny’s neck. He gags as it lifts him off the ground.

            Johnny grips the appendage and squeezes tight. The metal starts cracking and snapping beneath his fingers until it shatters completely. He hits the ground, coughing and rubbing his neck. He doesn’t even have time for a breather. He immediately senses movement behind him. He spins a second too late as the moose grabs him and tosses him down the hallway.

            “Johnny!” Tenna exclaims. She rushes forward but gets cut off by the chipmunk and walrus. She glares at them and prepares to fight.

            Johnny slides across the floor and into the wall. He groans with annoyance and sits up as the pig, moose, and octopus loom over him.

            “I have to help,” Devi growls. She sets her sights on Tenna first and rushes to her aid.

            She grabs the chipmunk, lifts it above her head, and throws it at the wall. A couple of metal panels fly off, but otherwise it remains intact. It gets back on its feet and glares at Devi.

            “Devi, I’m fine,” Tenna says as she knocks the walrus to the floor. “Go help Johnny.”

            She looks at her uncertainly before nodding. She slams the chipmunk into the wall a second time with her foot before running over to Johnny.

            The moose has a hold of Johnny’s right arm; some of the octopus’ tentacles are wrapped around his torso; the pig’s hands are inches away from his face. He’s barely keeping them away with his free hand and his feet.

            He can’t fight these things effectively. Hitting them barely does any damage, except to his knuckles. Even if he had some kind of weapon, he would probably get electrocuted.

            The pig suddenly freezes when it feels something rustling about in its control panel. It spins around, arms out, and smacks Devi right in the face.

            “Ah!” she screams in pain as she tumbles to the floor.

            “Devi!” Johnny exclaims and glares at the pig. “Asshole.”

            He grips the moose’s arm and swings it around, smashing it into the octopus. As soon as they both let go, Johnny grabs the pig by its legs, picks it up, and throws it at them. They all slam into the wall, sending bolts and metal bits flying.

            He pants as he kneels next to Devi. “You okay?”

            “Yeah,” she grunts as she sits up. “Nothing some ice won’t fix.”

            The walrus and chipmunk suddenly fly past them and smash into the rest of the animatronics. They lay on the ground in a heap for a second before getting back onto their feet.

            “Jeez, does nothing stop these things?” Tenna asks. She, Johnny, and Devi, watch as the robots stumble towards them. They stand still, ready to take them on.

            Meanwhile, Sage, Shane, and Amanda watch the whole spectacle from the door. They’re frozen to the spot with both awe and fear.

            “We gotta do something!” Sage says.

            “But what?” Shane asks.

            “What if we do set off the sprinklers?” Amanda suggests, “maybe the water will short them out. Does anyone have a lighter?”

            “Yeah,” Shane grunts as he pulls one out of his pocket.

            “Give it to me,” Sage orders, “now pick me up.”

            Shane wraps his arms around her waist and lifts her up to the ceiling. She turns on the lighter and holds the flame up to one of the sprinklers sticking out of the ceiling, but nothing happens.

            “It’s not enough,” she sighs.

            “Give me that,” Amanda demands.

            “What are you gonna do?” Sage asks as she hands her the lighter.

            Amanda takes it and digs around in her purse before pulling out a random piece of paper. “Start a fire,” she grunts as she turns on the lighter.

            “Guys, move!” she shouts. Johnny, Devi, and Tenna look back at her with surprise. She quickly crumples up the paper into a ball, lights it, and tosses it across the hallway. It lands at the feet of the animatronics.

            Johnny, Devi, and Tenna flinch with surprise and scramble away from the ball of fire. They all huddle together by the fire door and watch.

            The robots ignore the flame by their feet and keep walking, their sparks dancing dangerously around it. The paper’s smoking but not enough to turn on the sprinklers, and the fire is slowly going out.

            “It’s still not enough,” Shane groans.

            Johnny suddenly yanks the lighter and throws it across the hall. It tumbles into the fire and explodes, right next to the robots. Everything else happens simultaneously, within the span of ten seconds.

            The sprinklers set off, unlocking the door. The flames connect with the robots, setting their sparking electronics on fire.

            Shane yanks open the door and everyone scrambles out into the back alley. They race away from the restaurant and duck behind a nearby dumpster as the animatronics explode.

            They kneel there, frozen for a few seconds, before cautiously peeking over the dumpster. The entire restaurant is up in flames. Sirens can be heard in the distance. And there are no signs of the animatronics.

            They watch the fire, panting from exhaustion and exhilaration.

            “This is why midnight snacking should be done at home,” Johnny declares.

            “I knew starting a fire would be the solution,” Tenna states.

            “Let’s just get out of here before the cops find us,” Devi demands.

            Everyone nods in agreement. They stand up, turn their backs on the burning pizza building, and begin to walk away without another word.

            But then they all come to a sudden realization.

            “Hey, wait!” Devi exclaims as she spins around. “My car was parked there!”

            “Mine too!” Amanda squeals.

            “All of our cars were parked there,” Johnny groans.

            “Oh, shit, I hope it’s okay,” Shane whimpers as he runs back to the burning pizza building. The others follow, racing for the parking lot and their hopefully undamaged vehicles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to say that in addition to updates every Monday and Friday, I'll also being doing an update every Wednesday too since we have a lot of chapters to get through. Hopefully I remember.


	26. Fanatics 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A young Johnny meets an interesting, strong person.

Fragments of a Past Reality- New Living Arrangements

 

            Cammie Charmer marched down the sidewalk, grocery bag in one hand and cane in the other. She walked with confidence, her shoulders square, her head held high, and a stern scowl plastered on her face. Even with her limp, she had absolutely no weaknesses.

            She came to an abrupt stop when she saw three men kneeling around something in the gutter outside her house. They muttered as they poked and prodded at it. Cammie watched them for a second before noticing a hand on the ground between them.

            “Hey!” she barked and started waving her cane. “Get out of here! Beat it!”

            The men scurried off like rats, revealing their object of interest. It was a boy, passed out face first in the gutter. Cammie rolled him over with her cane.

            He was an older teenager, probably about seventeen, and he was in horrible shape. He looked like he hadn’t bathed or eaten in months. He was filthy and almost bones. He had nothing with him but the clothes on his back and a dirty blanket. She kneeled beside him and rested two fingers on his neck, checking for his pulse. His heart was still beating. He was barely alive.

            She stood back up and stared at him. She should just call the authorities. That would be the smart thing to do. She didn’t know this kid. Why should she worry about him?

            Despite that she still tugged her cane and bag under her shoulders and picked him up. He was extremely light. She hobbled up to her house and carried him inside.

 

            A broken Johnny C coughed as water was splashed into his face. He wiped his eyes before opening them and looking around.

            The first thing he saw was a middle-aged woman staring down at him. She had really short black hair and brown eyes. Her face was aged and stern, like she had been through a lot. She was holding a cup of water in one hand and a wooden cane with a curved handle in the other.

            “Oh, good. You’re finally awake,” she sighed.

            “Who are you? Where am I?” Johnny asked, his voice cracking.

            “My name’s Cammie,” she replied as she handed him a full glass of water. “Drink this.”

            Normally Johnny wouldn’t accept anything from a stranger, but he wasn’t in his right mind at the moment. Plus he was really thirsty. He took the glass and drank it in two gulps.

            “Where am I?” Johnny asked again as he sat up and watched Cammie move to the kitchen.

            “My house,” she replied plainly as she opened the fridge.

            “Where is your house? North End or South End?”

            She closed the fridge and looked at him with confusion. “What?”

            Johnny blinked with surprise. “Wh-what city am I in?”

            “Los Angeles,” she replied.

            “What?” he exclaimed.

            “You mean you didn’t know?” Cammie questioned. “How did you get here?”

            “I-I don’t know,” Johnny groaned as he rubbed his head. “I don’t remember. I feel like I got on a bus at some point. Did it bring me to L.A?”

            Cammie walked over, holding a bowl of soup. “Here, eat something. You look like you need it.”

            Johnny looked at her suspiciously as he took the bowl.

            “Don’t worry,” she chuckled, “it’s not poison.”

            “Why are you helping me?” he asked.

            “I’m not really sure,” she admitted, “it would probably be better for both of us if I didn’t. I should just call the cops, right?”

            “I would prefer it if you didn’t,” Johnny mumbled.

            “Why’s that?”

            “No reason.”

            Cammie watched him eat his soup for a few minutes. He had a permanent scowl on his face and his eyes were dark and narrow.

            She suddenly sat beside him on the couch and leaned in the close. “You have the eyes of someone who’s seen death.”

            Johnny choked and dropped his spoon. He covered his mouth as he coughed and looked at her with surprise. She looked very serious.  

            “I know because I have those exact same eyes,” she stated.

            Cammie leaned back and tapped on her cane. “What’s your name?”

            “Um Johnny C,” he replied.

            “C? Alright,” she shrugged, “tell me about yourself, Johnny C.”

            “Um, not much to tell,” he muttered.

            “Where are you from?” she asked, “or do you know?”

            “Um, I-I think outsiders call it something like the ‘Nameless City’,” he replied.

            “That creepy place? I’ve heard a lot of rumours about it,” she commented.

            “Most of them are probably true,” he mumbled.

            “Do you have any family?”

            He didn’t reply. Just quietly ate his soup.

            Cammie stared at him for a second before taking a deep breath. “My name is Cammie Charmer. I come from a rich family. My father is loaded. But I never cared about that, as you can probably tell from my house.”

            Johnny looked at her with surprise.

            “I’m originally from Maine,” she explained, “born and raised there. In my early twenties I joined the armed forces. I spent a lot of time overseas until I got an injury in my right leg that gave me a permanent severe limp. I was discharged and went back home. But I wasn’t happy. I felt lost. So on a whim I moved to California. Got a job at a shooting range and I’ve been here ever since.”

            “Why are you telling me this?” Johnny asked.

            “Now you know all about me. So tell me about yourself,” she ordered.

            Johnny stared at her with surprise before looking down at his empty bowl. He was quiet for a few minutes before obliging.

            “My parents were killed by a serial killer when I was fifteen,” he said quietly, “a few months later he broke into my school and tried to kill everyone there. But…I did instead.”

            He waited a second, expecting Cammie to freak out or something. But she remained quiet. So he continued.

            “Afterwards, I ran away from home and lived on the street. I thought I discovered myself, who I truly am. I thought I was a psychotic killing machine who could rid the world of all those horrible people,” he snarled and clenched his fist. “Not like a hero. I’m not hero, cause I’m just like them. I’m horrible too. But now…I don’t know what I am.”

            Cammie stared at him with a serious expression. It was clear that this kid didn’t carry a full deck, but she didn’t really think he was crazy. Maybe just confused.

            “Anyway, I should get going before you call the cops,” Johnny said as he stood up. “Thank you for the soup. It’s been a long time since someone was that nice to me. I’ll be going now.”

           “Hold it!” Cammie snapped. Johnny froze as he was reaching for the door and looked at her.

            “You’re not going anywhere,” she stated.

            “Look, you’re really nice and I don’t wanna kill you,” he warned.

            She scoffed. “You think you can kill me? Then you really are crazy.”

            Johnny growled. He reached into the back pocket of his jeans and whipped out a pocket knife. He moved to stab her but she dodged with ease.

            Cammie grabbed her cane by the back end and swung it, smacking his knife out of his hand. Then she caught his neck with the curved handle and held him still.

            “You’re a menace to yourself,” she grunted, “and you’re sloppy. If you continue on like this, you’ll kill yourself without ever accomplishing anything.”

            “So what? Maybe I’d rather be dead,” he barked.

            “Don’t say that!” she shouted angrily, “everyone has potential to do great things. Even you. I can see it. And I won’t let you die like this.”

            “What do you know? Why do you wanna help me?” he snapped.

            “I don’t know,” she said plainly, “maybe it’s because you’ve had the same lonely look in your eye that I’ve had for the last ten years.”

            Johnny’s face softened and his anger dissolved. Cammie took her cane off his neck and rested it back on the floor. They stared at each other for a while, completely silent.

            Johnny looked away, rubbing his neck. “I… haven’t had a place to stay for a long time.”

            “I can tell,” Cammie commented, “the couch is a pull-out bed. You can sleep there. I’ll set it up while you go shower. How many blankets do you like?”

            “Just this,” he replied as he handed her his little blanket.

            “Alright,” she nodded and took it. “I’ll wash it for you. The bathroom’s down the hall. Later we’ll go buy you some new clothes.”

            Johnny simply nodded. He trudged down the hall and into the bathroom. He turned on the shower, stripped down, and stepped into the stream. It felt great. He let out a long sigh as the water washed away all of the grime and even his stress, as temporary as that might be.

            Johnny stared at the drain as he let the warm water run down his back. So he was living here now. He was not even entirely sure how that happened. Still, would it be okay to call this place home?

            Probably not. For now, it’s just a new living arrangement.


	27. Fanatics 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zim gets some uninvited guests.

The Haunting in the Base

 

            Zim is sitting at his vanity, trying on his variety of wigs. He got a whole bunch from Kio along with his new base. He usually only wears his old one, but it’s fun to mix it up once in a while.

            Dib is lying on his bed, reading a book. Irken beds are round, super soft and squishy, and have more pillows than blankets. Irkens don’t need as much sleep as humans, but Zim’s been sleeping a lot more just to pass time. Dib likes his bed because it’s so cozy.

            Zim’s been rambling for the last few minutes about his wigs: which ones he likes most and why. Dib hasn’t been listening; he’s too absorbed in his book.

            “So, Dib, I was thinking,” Zim muses then glances at him. “Dib?”

            Dib hasn’t even acknowledged him. This irritates Zim. How dare he ignore him?

            Zim growls. He throws off his wig and marches across the room to the end of the bed. He slips in between the book and Dib’s body so he’s lying right on top of him.

            “Whu-Zim?” Dib exclaims. Zim slams his mouth against Dib. Dib doesn’t have long to be surprised before he’s completely absorbed into the kiss. He drops his book and wraps his arms around Zim’s slim back.

            His serpentine tongue swirls around Dib’s mouth, dominating it completely. He runs his hands up and down Dib’s chest, causing him to squirm and moan. Zim smirks internally, knowing he won this.

            “Intruder alert.”

            “Eh?” Zim grunts as he detaches his mouth from Dib’s, his tongue swirling out.

            “Intruder alert.”

            “Intruder? Who would dare?” Zim growls. He hops off the bed and marches out of the room.

            “Zim?” Dib questions. Zim can walk away from a heated make-out session with ease, but Dib has a slightly harder time.

            Zim stomps down the hall and to the kitchen downstairs. He looks around but sees no one.

            “Intruder alert.”

            “Alright, I got it!” Zim barks, “Skoodge!”

            “Yes?” Skoodge questions, poking his head out of his room.

            “Do you have anyone over?” he asks.

            “No.”

            “Of course, how would you? You don’t know anyone,” Zim scoffs, “Gir! Do you have friends over?”

            “Just Pig,” Gir replies as he steps out of his room, holding a little pig over his head.

            “Pig? Could that be it?” Dib asks as he walks over.

            “No, that’s always here,” Zim grunts.

            “Intruder alert.”

            “There’s no one here,” Zim snaps, “Computer, run a diagnostic on your perimeter scanner.”

            There’s a slight pause. “Diagnostic complete. No errors found. Intruder alert.”

            “Well, where are they?” Zim asks with frustration.

            “In the kitchen.”

            Zim takes another look around the kitchen and sees no one. His PAK opens up and a spider leg carries out a pair of pink ski goggles. Zim grabs them and slips them on over his eyes, activating the x-ray vision. He looks around but even with added vision, he sees no one.

            “What’s going on?” he asks with confusion.

            “Intruder alert.”

 

            “So there’s really no one there?” Pepito asks.

            “That’s what I said!” Zim groans, “but my computer is convinced there’s an intruder and it keeps sending me updates via my phone.” His cell phone chimes. “I got it already!” he shouts before throwing it across the cafeteria.

            Zim, Dib, Gaz, Squee, and Pepito sit at their usual table with their usual lunches. Zim’s been complaining about his computer alert for the last few hours. Apparently it was going off all night and there’s no evidence of any intruder.

            “At first the ‘intruder’ was only in the kitchen, but now they’re apparently all over the house at the same time. Even in the labs. But I looked around for hours and I couldn’t find anyone,” Zim growls as he angrily stabs at the ‘meat’ on his plate.

            “Maybe there’s more to it than you think,” Squee suggests.

            “What do you mean?” he asks.

            “Has your computer ever been wrong before?”

            “No.”

            “So why should it be wrong now?” Squee shrugs, “maybe there’s something bigger going on.”

            “He may be on to something,” Dib agrees.

            “Yeah. If you want, we can go over to your place after Skool and look around,” Pepito suggests, “maybe you missed something.”

            “Very well,” Zim sighs, “but I really don’t think you’ll find anything. The artificial brain is probably damaged or something.”

            “If that’s the case, then fine. But we’ll still have a look for you,” Squee says.

            After Skool, the kids head over to Zim’s place. They walk close together while Zim explains more of the situation to them. It’s basically the same stuff he’s been saying, but more drawn out.

            They arrive at the base and open the door, but the sight before them causes them to freeze in their tracks. The television has been knocked off the wall, the couch and coffee table are flipped over, and there are a bunch of random items littering the floor.

            “What happened here?” Zim barks.

            “Masta!” Gir cries as he flies out of nowhere and clutches Zim’s head. “There are weird things here! Weird, creepy things!”    

            “What? Get off of me!” he snaps, “Skoodge, what’s he talking about?”

            “I don’t know,” the smaller Irken says, “he’s been freaking out all afternoon.”

            “Whatever,” Zim groans as he drops the robot. “Just clean this mess up.”

            Skoodge and Gir get to work setting the living room back up while Zim and the others look around.

            “I don’t see anyone,” Dib says.

            “Me neither,” Gaz grunts, “this was a waste of time.”

            “You mean you guys really don’t see them?” Pepito asks with confusion.

            They look back and see Pepito and Squee still standing in the doorway, looking into the house with a mixture of awe and horror.

            “See what?” Dib asks.

            “I see them,” Squee mutters.

            “You mean there are actually intruders here?” Zim questions, “where are they?”

            “Everywhere,” Pepito and Squee reply simultaneously.

            Within the house, crowding the kitchen and living room are tons of transparent people. Some of them walking on legs, others are floating around with wispy tails. None of them seem to notice Zim or the others; they’re all just minding their own business.

            “They’re ghosts. They must be,” Pepito says.

            “Ghosts?” Dib exclaims excitedly.

            “Why can you see them and we can’t?” Gaz asks.

            “Maybe your sixth sense isn’t strong enough,” Squee suggests as he tightly hugs Shmee.

            “Sixth sense?” Dib questions.

            “I’ll uh explain later,” he mutters.

            “Who cares? I wanna know why they’re in my house,” Zim says impatiently.

            “I’ll find out,” Pepito declares and rushes towards the ghosts. “Excuse me? Um, hello? Anyone?” He runs around, waving his arms and trying to get somebody’s attention, but they all ignore him.

            Squee notices a ghost boy sitting in the far corner of the living room. He looks lonely. Squee hesitantly walks up to him and kneels in front of him.

            “Uh, h-hi,” he says nervously.

            The ghost looks at him with surprise. “You-you can see me?”

            “Um, apparently,” Squee shrugs.

            “And you can hear me too,” he says excitedly as he stands up.

            “Uh, yes,” Squee nods uncertainly, “um I-I was wondering if I could ask you some questions? Uh if you don’t mind.”

            “Oh, not at all,” the ghost smiles.

            “Guys, this one will help us,” Squee calls out to the others. They all sit on Zim’s couch and the ghost hovers near him.

            “Uh, well, I guess it would be best if we know your name first,” Squee says.

            “Why?” Pepito asks.

            “It’s polite,” Squee replies.

            “I’m Freddy,” the ghost says.

            “I’m Squee. This is Pepito, Zim, Dib, and Gaz. Uh, Zim, Dib, and Gaz can’t see you though,” Squee warns.

            “That’s okay, I’m used to it,” Freddy shrugs.

            “So, Freddy, why are you all here?” Squee asks.

            “Oh, yeah, I’m really sorry about this. I understand this place belongs to the weird, green kid,” Freddy says, “it’s just we had nowhere else to go.”

            “You see, we’re all originally from South Vector’s Cemetery.”

            “South Vector’s Cemetery?” Squee exclaims with horror.

            “What? What about South Vector’s Cemetery?” Dib asks.

            “They’re all originally from South Vector’s Cemetery,” Squee clarifies.

            “How did you all end up here then?” Pepito asks.

            “South Vector’s was our resting places, our home,” Freddy explains, “but it’s also home to a really powerful poltergeist. He made us all work for him; he ruled over us. And one day he made us destroy and move around our gravestones to make him a throne. This effectively destroyed our homes, so we ran away to find a new one.”

            “What made you pick this one?” Pepito asks.

            “We liked the bright colours,” he shrugs.

            “What, what’s he saying?” Zim asks impatiently.

            “They were being ruled over by a poltergeist so they ran away,” Pepito summarizes.

            “He made them destroy their own homes,” Squee sighs, “that’s terrible.”

            “I can’t speak for the others, but I am sorry for stealing Zim’s home,” Freddy says, “I tried to tell them we should find a different place, but they don’t listen to me.”

            “Wait, let me get this straight,” Gaz grunts, “a poltergeist made them destroy their homes, so they ran away to find a new one, and that ended up being Zim’s house?”

            “Right,” Pepito nods.

            “This is ridiculous,” Zim barks as he jumps to his feet. “I refuse to be roommates with a bunch of ghosts. All of you need to get out!” He points out at the door and stares off into the house. After standing like that for a few seconds, he glances at Squee and Pepito and asks, “did they leave?”

            “No,” Pepito replies, “they didn’t even notice you.”

            “Most ghosts look down on the living,” Freddy explains, “I never understood why. Maybe it’s because I could never interact with the living before.”

            “Never?” Squee asks.

            He shakes his head. “You and Pepito are the only ones who have ever noticed me.”

            “This will not do,” Zim shouts, “if they’re not going to leave unless they get a new home, then I’ll just get them their old home back. We’re going to South Vector’s Cemetery and we’re dealing with that poltergeist.”

            “What?” Freddy, Squee, Pepito, Dib, and Gaz exclaim.

            “That’s crazy. He’s too powerful,” Freddy insists.

            “Freddy says he’s too powerful,” Squee tells Zim.

            “No one is more powerful than Zim!” he declares, “now let’s go.”

            “How are we gonna get that?” Dib asks, “it’s all the way on the South End. That’s like a day’s long walk.”

            “We’ll take your dad’s car,” Zim states as he leaves the house.

            “Oh, I don’t know about that, Zim,” Dib says quickly as he chases after him. “I only have my learners and-and I’d have to ask my dad first.” Gaz, Pepito, and Squee follow them as he lists reasons why not to take his dad’s car.

            A few minutes later they’re in Membrane’s car, with Dib driving. There’s not a moment of silence in the vehicle as they have many things to go over.

            “Um so Shmee told me that there are a lot of different planes of existences,” Squee explains, “each plane is home too different things. A plane is all the things everyone perceives around them. All of these planes hold different beings. For example, Shmee has his own plane which is why no one can hear him or see him move.”

            “All living creatures have a sixth sense, which is like a sense used to perceive things in other planes. The stronger the sense, the more planes they perceive, but most humans don’t have a very strong sixth sense. Ghosts exist on a different plane of existence, so your guys’ sixth sense might not be strong enough to perceive it.”

            “If that is true, will we even be able to see this poltergeist?” Gaz asks.

            “I don’t know. I guess that depends on which plane it exists on,” Squee replies.      

            “Whatever the case, we will destroy that poltergeist,” Zim declares, “so, Dib, what can you tell us about poltergeists?”

            “They’re really powerful spirits that can interact with the living in a number of ways, even directly harming them,” Dib explains.

            “Is there a way to destroy it?” Pepito asks.

            “I’m not sure. No one has ever done it before,” he replies, “in fact no one has ever fought one and lived to talk about it.”

            “Uh, this is a bad idea, Zim,” Squee whimpers, “can’t you just live with some ghosts? Maybe you can set up a place for them in your lab.”

            “Absolutely not,” Zim snaps, “I already have three roommates, I don’t need a dozen more. We can defeat this poltergeist. We just need a plan.”

            The car fills with the silence of nobody having a single idea.

            “Um, so,” Zim clears his throat. “Pepito, Squee, you two are South Enders. What’s the deal with this South Vector’s Cemetery?”

            “It’s one of the most haunted places in the city. Maybe even the world,” Pepito replies, “people who would go there would always get hurt. There were stories of rocks hitting them from out of nowhere, or someone being thrown across the yard. It became so bad that it was eventually closed off to the public.”

            “I’ve always wanted to go there,” Dib giggles excitedly.

            “Maybe it was that poltergeist’s fault,” Squee suggests, “the other ghosts don’t seem to have any interest in the living.”

            “Then we’ll be doing everyone a favour by getting rid of it,” Zim chuckles, “humanity will definitely owe me.”

            “Only one problem: we have no idea how to get rid of it,” Gaz points out.

            “A minor setback,” Zim insists.

            “No it’s not!” Squee squeals.

            “Silence,” he demands, “we’re here.”

            Dib pulls the car over in front of a gate with a large sign labeled ‘South Vector’s Cemetery.’ Everyone gets out and stares at it. There’s a huge padlock on the gate along with ‘no trespassing’ and ‘private property’ signs.

            “This is a bad idea,” Squee whimpers.

            Zim’s PAK opens and two spider legs spring out, slicing through the chains and opening the gate. The group walk through it and enter the cemetery.

            The yard is almost completely empty. The ground has been disturbed in random spots and there are large holes where tombstones used to be. It’s eerily silent for almost everyone.

            “I don’t like this,” Squee mutters as he squeezes Shmee. “I’m hearing lots of weird things.”

            “I don’t hear anything,” Pepito says.

            Squee only moans in reply.

            “Hey, it’s okay,” he smiles and sticks out his hand. “You can hold onto me if you want.”

           Squee takes his hand. The warmth and feel ease up his nerves a bit but the noises don’t stop. It’s almost like distant whispering that is also right in his ear.

            They walk around for a bit before Zim grows impatient.

            “Show yourself, poltergeist!” he shouts.

            Everyone freezes and looks around. Squee grips Pepito’s arm and hugs Shmee.

            “The noises stopped,” he whispers.

            “Hey.”

            Everyone jumps and looks to the right as a middle aged man approaches them.

            “Who are you?” Zim asks.

            “I’m the caretaker to this graveyard,” the man replies, “the real question is, who are you? You’re trespassing.”

            “We’re looking for something,” Zim states.

            “Well I suggest you leave,” he grunts, “before something bad happens.”

             A jolt runs up Squee’s spine. “Zim, move!”

            It’s too late. Zim is suddenly pushed off his feet by a seemingly unknown force. He flies across the yard and slams hard into the ground.

            “Zim!” the kids exclaim before facing the man angrily, except for Squee who cowers behind Pepito.

            “Bad kids need to be punished,” the man shrugs.

            “It’s you. You’re the poltergeist,” Dib growls.

            “That’s right. I rule these lands,” he snaps, “and you are trespassing. But it’s okay. I’ve been in need of some new ghost servants. You’ll do just fine.”

            Dib, Gaz, and Pepito glare at him and prepare to fight. Then a pink laser suddenly flies through him. It doesn’t harm him at all, it’s almost like he wasn’t even there. But he notices it. Everyone turns to where it came from.

            Zim is getting on his feet, laser gun in hand. He’s panting, his clothes are torn in places, and he’s got a lot of bruises. His wig and left contact lens is missing. He tears out the other one and glares at the poltergeist.

            “You don’t know who you’re dealing with, ghost!” Zim barks, “I am Zim, future ruler of Earth and all of its inhabitants, and that includes you.”

            “You’re not human,” the poltergeist states, “how incredible. My first alien ghost.”

            “I won’t be your ghost. I’m taking you out right now!” he declares, “Gir!”

            The little robot suddenly flies from out of nowhere and charges the spirit. He laughs. “Lasers and robots. Your weapons may be futuristic, but they can’t harm m-.” He’s interrupted by Gir’s fist connecting with his jaw. He flies off his feet and skids across the ground.

            Gir comes to a stop and laughs victoriously.

            “Impossible!” the poltergeist snaps.

            Zim smirks and rushes forward, his spider legs springing out of his PAK. They lift up high above his head before plunging down towards the poltergeist. Unfortunately, they phase right through him.          

            “Shit,” Zim grunts.

            The poltergeist grins and waves his arm. A tombstone flies through the air, right towards Zim. He jumps back, his spider legs moving to protect him. But the stone suddenly stops in midair, a black aura appearing around it. It hovers there for a second before dropping harmlessly to the ground.

            Zim turns around and sees Pepito, his arm extended and hand glowing black. He lowers it and marches forward as he takes off his beanie.

            “You’re gonna have to bear with me,” he growls, “it’s been a long time since I used my antichrist powers.”

            “You have supernatural powers too,” the poltergeist observes, “well then, let’s see whose is most powerful.”

            Pepito sticks out his arm, a black ball of energy forming in his palm. He throws it at the spirit and hits him square in the chest. He’s knocked off his feet and screams in pain.

            “You can hurt it,” Zim states.

            “Evidently,” Pepito grunts.

            The poltergeist sits up and glares at him. He’s suddenly blown off his feet. He smacks into Zim and they both tumble to the ground.

            The poltergeist sticks out his hand and a tree tears out of the ground. He swings his arm and it starts to fall on top of Zim and Pepito. Pepito lifts his arms and catches the tree with his powers. But the poltergeist keeps pushing on it. Pepito struggles to keep it in the air.

            Dib and Gaz rush forward. They grab Zim and Pepito by their shoulders and tug them out of the way.

            “Gir, attack!” Zim orders.

            Gir, who was just finding great interest in twiddling his thumbs, snaps into SIR mode and charges the poltergeist, hitting him in the stomach. He gags and falls to his knees.

            Once safely out of the way, Pepito lets go of the tree and falls to the ground.

            “Go ahead,” the poltergeist coughs, “do what you want. But what good will it do? You can’t get rid of me. I’m already dead!”

            “He’s right,” Dib grunts, “we need a plan.”

“No, he’s wrong,” Zim declares, “look!” He points at the poltergeist’s torso and cheek where Pepito and Gir hit him. They’re transparent and kind of stringy, almost like his being tore apart a little. “Every time he takes damage, he seems to become less physical. Maybe if we beat on him enough, he’ll eventually turn into nothingness.”

“But Pepito and Gir are the only ones who can hit him,” Gaz points out.        

“That’s enough,” Zim growls, “Gir, barrage!”

“Woo!” he cheers before charging the poltergeist, his fists swinging madly. He connects and begins beating on the spirit, mercilessly and endlessly.

“Enough!” the poltergeist barks. Gir is blown backwards and flies across the yard. Squee manages to catch him before he can hit the ground.

The spirit stands up. He’s trembling slightly and his body is much more transparent and wiry. It really looks like he’s actually falling apart.

He notices Pepito charging another blast and manages to dodge it just in time. Pepito pants as he gets to work on another one.

            The poltergeist looks around frantically before noticing Squee standing a few feet away, clutching Gir and Shmee to his chest. He smirks and flies through the air, right at him.

            “Squee, watch out!” Pepito exclaims.

            Squee jumps out of the way, easily dodging him. The spirit does a quick 180 and charges him again, but again Squee dodges him.

          “Sit still, boy!” he barks, “don’t worry, I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to possess you.”

“That sounds very unpleasant,” Squee whimpers, “Shmee!”      

            The bear comes to life and jumps out of his arms. He flies through the air and high kicks the spirit in the chin. Before he has a chance to hit the ground, Shmee appears behind him and kicks him into the air. Gir takes this chance to fly above him and hit him in the chest, hurdling him back to the ground.

            “Yeah! We’re kicking his ass!” Zim cheers.

            The poltergeist snarls and jumps to his feet. He lifts both of his arms dramatically and a huge hoard of gravestones flies into the air. They plummet towards the kids like missiles. Zim’s spider legs create a force field above them, protecting them. The stones smash harmlessly against it. But Squee is too far away to be protected.

            He jumps and rolls out of the way, dodging all of the stones. But he’s too focused on them that he doesn’t notice the poltergeist appear behind him.

            “Squee!” Pepito exclaims.

            He spins around but it’s too late. The spirit slams into him, disappearing into his body.

            “No!” the kids cry.

            Squee writhes around on the ground, gripping at the dirt and groaning in pain.

            “We gotta do something!” Dib exclaims.

            “Don’t worry. There’s no danger,” Shmee states, “that spirit has no idea what sort of mind he just entered.”

            Squee’s eyes open, but they’re pure white. An ugly smirk spreads across his face as he stands and faces the kids. He starts to lift his arm but stops as his expressions twists with horror.

            “What-what is this? These visions in my head? These voices?” He clutches himself and falls to his knees. “Everything hurts! What’s happening?”

            He starts screaming with pain and fear. Everyone just watches, bewildered.

            “We-we need to do something,” Zim orders.

            “What?” Dib asks.

            “Hit him!” Gaz exclaims.

            “No!” Pepito squeals.

            “Just be patient,” Shmee demands.

            Gir suddenly hits Squee in the chin, flipping him onto his back.

            “Hey!” everyone barks.

            The poltergeist suddenly flies out of Squee’s body, rubbing his chin. Squee groans and writhes on the ground a bit but otherwise stays still.

            The spirit looks down at him with anger. “You abomination.”

            Squee is slowly lifted off the ground and carried towards the poltergeist. He moans and looks at him with exhausted eyes.

            “Leave him alone!” Pepito barks.

            “Put him down!” Zim snaps.

            Shmee jumps into the air and hits the poltergeist in the ribs. He exclaims in pain and lets go of Squee. Pepito rushes forward and slides across the dirt, catching him just in time. He hugs him tightly and rubs his forehead.

            “Squee, look at me. Are you okay?” he asks frantically.

            “Yeah,” Squee sighs.

            “You’ll pay for that,” Zim barks and races forward. His spider legs lift him up into the air so he’s eye level with the poltergeist. He pulls back his fist and hits him right in the face. He exclaims in pain as he falls to the ground. Zim’s spider legs go back into his PAK, dropping him right on top of the spirit. He grabs the front of his shirt and punches him again.

            “He can hit him?” Dib questions.

            Zim continuously beats on him, mercilessly and without rest. Dib, Gaz, Gir, and Shmee join Squee and Pepito and watch him.

            He finally stops after a few minutes, panting angrily as his arms hang at his sides. He steps away and reaches down, grabbing what’s left of the poltergeist. He’s nothing but a little wisp now. One could never even tell he used to be human.

            Zim snarls and clenches his fist, popping it like a balloon. Dust particles fall from his fingers and dissipate into the air.

            Everyone stands there, frozen and quiet. Then Zim takes a deep breath and puffs out his chest.

            “See? I told you we could handle it,” he booms.

            The kids chuckle lightly. They all stretch and follow Zim out of the cemetery. But Squee lags behind. He hugs Shmee as he exits this plane of existence and stares at the ground, forlorn.

            “What’s wrong, Squee? Why do you look so sad?” Zim asks as they approach the car. “We won!”

            “You all handled that so bravely. You fought hard and helped each other,” Squee mutters, “I couldn’t do anything. I even got possessed.”

            The kids glance at him then look at each other sadly.

            “Don’t worry about it, Squee,” Zim shrugs, “come on, we’ll take you home. You need rest.”

            “Uh, actually I’d rather walk,” Squee says quickly, “my house isn’t far from here. You guys go on.”

            They stare at him uncertainly. Then Zim turns away and nods at the car. “Let’s go, guys.”

            Dib, Gaz, and Gir get in. Pepito is a little slower. He watches Squee for a second before sighing worriedly and climbing into the car.

            Squee forces a smile and waves at them as they drive away. He waits until the car has disappeared around a corner before turning and heading back into the cemetery.

            He wanders aimlessly, his eyes on the ground and his face filled with dejection. Shmee remains quiet the whole time, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

            He’s not sure how long he’s been walking around, but it must’ve been for a while because he starts noticing ghosts appearing around him. Some of them he recognizes from Zim’s house. Maybe they knew their home was free again.

            Squee settles under a tree and watches them hover around. They completely ignore him and talk amongst themselves, like a big, close-knit community.

            “Hey.” Squee looks up at the familiar voice. Freddy is hovering behind him. He sits beside him and smiles.

            “You guys did it,” he beams, “you saved our home. The others don’t really understand but I do. You’re incredible.”

            “Thanks but I didn’t really have anything to do with it,” Squee mutters.

            Freddy cocks his head with confusion but doesn’t lose his smile. “You know, you’re the first person to talk to me in a long time, alive or dead. Nobody here likes me. So could we maybe be friends? It’s okay if you say no. I’m sure having a ghost as a friend is pretty weird.”

            “No,” Squee smiles a little. “Being friends would be pretty cool.”

            “Awesome,” Freddy exclaims happily, “then as your friend, can I ask what is troubling you? You seem troubled.”

            Squee’s smile disappears and he looks at the ground. “It’s just…I mean I guess it’s not even that big a deal…but…am I liability?”

            “Don’t be ridiculous,” Shmee snaps.

            “Why would you say that?” Freddy asks.

            “Because everyone fought so hard today. They were all so brave,” Squee says, “and I couldn’t do anything but run. I even got possessed. I was useless. But-but I really wanted to help. I didn’t-I don’t want them to get hurt. I want to protect them.”

            “But I hate fighting. Most of the time it’s pointless and juvenile. I really don’t wanna hurt anyone; I don’t want to cause violence,” he rambles, his face getting more and more forlorn. “But I don’t know how else I’m supposed to protect them from people who want to hurt them. Our enemies fight and use violence. How am I supposed to match that?”

            Freddy stares at him with surprise but takes that question into deep consideration.

            “You know, Squee, when I was alive my mom gave me some advice,” he says, “she told me ‘Fredrick, when you get into high school always keep a condom in your pocket. It’s always best to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it’.”

            “I didn’t live long enough to heed this advice,” he adds, “but maybe I can pass it off to you in the form of a metaphor, condoms representing the knowledge to fight.”

            “Maybe you don’t want to do it, but isn’t it better to have it for when you need it?”

            Squee stares at him then looks away. He scratches his head and stands up. “Thanks, Freddy. Really, it was nice talking to you. And if you want, you can come visit me sometime.”

            “Same,” Freddy smiles.

            Squee smiles back before walking away. His mood has brightened a bit. He’s not feeling better, but he’s not nearly as depressed.

            “Shmee,” he says as he leaves the graveyard. “I really hate fighting.”

            “I know,” Shmee nods.

            “But for their sake, maybe I could handle it.”


	28. Fanatics 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kids take their partnership to the next level.

 

Birth of the Battalion           

 

            It’s a quiet Saturday morning. Across the city, Dib, Gaz, Pepito, and Squee are fast asleep in their beds, enjoying the peace. Zim, however, is wide awake and has been for hours. Granted Irkens don’t need much sleep so it’s not really an issue.

            He’s been pacing back and forth in his lab, mulling over an idea in his head, going over the pros and cons. He loves the idea, but part of him doesn’t want to go through with it for a reason he can’t quite pinpoint. It’s a feeling he’s never had before and it’s really bothering him.

            He mumbles angrily to himself as he paces. Skoodge, Gir, and Minimoose watch from their seat on the main computer’s keyboard, curious and slightly concerned.

            “Zim, I’ve never seen you like this before,” Skoodge points out.

            “That’s because I’ve never felt like this before,” Zim growls, “I don’t know what it is but it’s giving me doubts on my genius idea. I can’t have that. I need to figure out what this is so I can stop it.”

            “Out of the way!” he barks as he runs up to the keyboard. “I’m calling Kio.”

            Skoodge and the others quickly jump to the floor as Zim wakes the Computer.

            “What?” it groans.

            “Computer, call Kio,” Zim demands.

            ‘Calling’ appears on screen and a dial tone sound fills the room. It lasts for a few seconds before Kio’s face suddenly appears.

            “Hi, Zim,” she smiles.

            “Greetings, Kio,” Zim grunts, “how are things?”

           “Pretty well. Not much has been happening lately,” Kio replies, “but it’s good that you called. Shmoopy’s wanted to talk to you. I’ll just go get her.”

            “Uh, Kio, before that,” Zim says quickly before she disappears off screen. “There’s um something I wanted to ask you.”

            “You need my help with something?” she questions.

            Zim flinches. “No, of course not. Zim never needs help.”

            “Ah, of course. How foolish of me,” Kio nods affirmatively, “so what do you need?”

            He clears his throat. “Well, you see, I had this great idea. And I mean it’s really great, even for me. Or at least, I thought it was. But the more I thought about the more I started to doubt it. See, I suddenly have this strange… ‘feeling’. I’ve never felt anything like it before. At least, not this strongly.”

            “What sort of feeling?” Kio asks.

            “I don’t really know how to describe it,” he explains, “it’s sort of a sick feeling in my squeedly spooch. Like it’s all tied up in knots. And it makes my throat feel clogged, my limbs weak, and my antennae ache.”

            “Hm,” she muses, “and it’s being caused by an emotion of some kind.”

            Zim nods.

            “Well it sort of sounds like the symptoms of the emotion humans refer to as ‘worrying’.”

            “Worrying?” Zim questions.

            “So what are you worrying about, Zim?” Kio asks.

            “What a ridiculous question,” he scoffs, “Zim worries about nothing. Everything I do is satisfactory.”

            “Is it about your friends?”

            Zim twitches. “What?”

            “It’s just a guess,” she shrugs, “you know you talk about them a lot. So much it’s almost like I know them myself. I mean, of course I know Dib and Gaz. But I’ve never met Squee and Pepito and I already know so much about them because of you.”

            “I… didn’t realize I talk about them so much,” Zim admits bashfully.

            “It’s not a bad thing,” she says quickly, “you always look so happy.”

            Zim stares at the keyboard for a second before coming to a conclusion. “Alright, I’m going through with my idea. I’ll call you later, Kio.”

            “Sure,” she smiles and waves. “Good luck.”

            Zim hangs up and turns away from the computer as his cell phone pops out of his PAK. He catches it and sends a group text to Dib, Gaz, Pepito, and Squee.

            They all receive it at the same time and groan the same way for having been woken up. They grab their phones and read the message: ‘come to my house now!’

            They groan and scoff as they put their phones away and try to go back to sleep. But then they receive another text.

            ‘NOW!’

            They groan with defeat as they clamber out of their beds and get dressed.

            Dib and Gaz leave their bedrooms and walk down the hallway to the stairwell.

            “What could that idiot possibly want so early in the morning?” Gaz growls.

            “Who knows,” Dib yawns.

            Squee leaves his bedroom, his bag hanging off his shoulder and Shmee tucked under his arm. Nugget trots beside him before hopping up onto the couch next to Johnny and going back to sleep.

            “Morning, Nny,” Squee yawns.

            “Morning,” he grunts.

            “Could you drive me to Zim’s house?” he asks.

            “Sure but why so early?”

            “I don’t know but his last message was in caps so it must be serious,” Squee shrugs.

            Pepito trots down the stairs to the ground floor as he puts on his beanie. “Mom, could you drive me to Zim’s house?”

            “I’m sorry, honey. I can’t,” she replies as she quickly puts her jacket on. “I gotta go to work and it’s too far out of the way.”

            “No problem. I’ll just ask Squee,” Pepito shrugs.

            “Okay. Have fun.” She gives him a quick kiss on the cheek before hurrying to the door.

            “You too,” he waves as he texts Squee.

            Squee reads the message. “Oh, Pepito needs a ride too.”

            “Ugh, fine,” Johnny groans as he puts on a jacket and grabs the car keys. “Let’s go. Nugget, watch the house.”

            She replies by barely twitching her ear.

            The boys get into the car and drive off to Pepito’s house. They pick him up and begin the tedious ride to the North End.

            “Thanks, guys,” Pepito smiles.

            Johnny grunts in reply.

            “I wonder what Zim wants so badly?” he muses. His phone suddenly starts going off with a rock and roll ringtone. He grabs it and reads the caller ID. “Oh, speak of the devil.” He answers. “Hello.”

            “Where are you guys?” Zim asks impatiently.

            “Would you relax, you little doofus? We’re on our way,” Pepito replies.

            “Zim is not little!”

            “What do you want, anyway?”

            “Zim will tell you when you get here,” he states before hanging up.

            “Ugh, I hate it when he talks in the third person,” Pepito groans.

            “Oh, it’s not so bad,” Squee shrugs, “it’s just one of his quirks.”

            “Yeah, one of his many,” Johnny mutters.

            Meanwhile, up at the base, Zim is pacing back and forth impatiently in his living room as he waits for everyone to arrive. Dib and Gaz are the first ones. They walk in and face Zim curiously.

            “So, what’s up?” Dib asks.

            “Take a seat. We have to wait for Pepito and Squee still,” Zim orders.

            “Seriously? Just tell us what you want,” Gaz snaps.

            “Not yet,” Zim insists.

            Gaz growls with annoyance. Dib just sighs and sits on the couch with Skoodge, Gir, and Minimoose. They wave good morning to each other and wait for the others to show up.

            Dib, Gaz, and the minions watch TV while Zim continues his pacing in the kitchen. He’s incredibly antsy, even more so than usual. So when Pepito and Squee finally arrive, he immediately ushers everyone into the lab.

            “Zim, what’s going on?” Dib asks as they take the elevator underground.

            “I have been doing a lot of thinking lately,” he replies, “about myself and all of you.”

            “Whoa, dude, are you breaking up with us?” Pepito asks.

            “Just shut up and listen,” Zim demands.

            The elevator doors open and he marches out, the others following close behind.

            “As you know, my goal is to become complete ruler of Earth,” he states.

            “Yes, and you’ve been doing great at it so far,” Gaz comments sarcastically.

            “Would you all just shut up for a few minutes?” he snaps. He quickly composes himself and continues. “As I was saying, my goal is to become complete ruler of Earth. However this has become increasingly difficult over the years, mostly because since I was banished from Irk I lost all connections to useful resources and allies.”

            “However! I have met some other allies,” he adds, “all of you.”

            “Oh, okay, I get it,” Pepito nods, “you want to take our relationship to the next level.”

            “Silence!” Zim snaps, “but yes I suppose you could say that.”

            “What are you getting at, Zim?” Dib asks.

            “Fine, here it is: the point,” he says, “I propose we all form a team!”

            “A team?” Squee questions.

            “Correct,” Zim beams, “together we can take over the world. Surprisingly enough, the idea of standing over my subjects with all of you by my side is not displeasing.”  
            “Aw, that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said,” Pepito coos.

            “And not only that. Along with the world domination, we’re also a great army,” he adds, “although we may be low in numbers, we are high in determination and spirit. And that’s all that really matters, apparently.”

            “Together we will take over the Earth and destroy all who may oppose us!” he concludes then smiles proudly, “what do you all think? Are you in?”

            Dib, Gaz, Pepito, and Squee glance at each other with blank expressions.

            “I thought we were already a team,” Dib says, “I mean we did save the world together. So, yeah, I’m in.”

            “It seems stupid. But it’s not like I got anything better to do,” Gaz shrugs, “I’m in.”

            “You protected me from my father and in doing so restored my confidence,” Pepito smiles, “I’m totally in.”

            “You guys are like the first real friends I ever had,” Squee mutters, “so I guess I’m in.”

            “Excellent!” Zim cheers.

            “So what now?” Dib asks.

            “Now we have to do some real team establishing,” he replies, “first we need a name; a title. Something that will define us and strike fear in the hearts of our enemies.”

            “Like what?” Pepito asks.

            “Hm, well, the Irken army is called the Armada, and just the mere mention of it really freaks enemies out,” Zim says, “so maybe something like that?”

            The kids take a second to consider it.

            “How about…the Battalion?” Squee suggests.

            “Battalion?” Zim questions.

            “Yeah. It’s a synonym to armada and army,” he shrugs.

            “It is pretty awesome,” Pepito agrees, “it’s got ‘battle’ and ‘lion’ in it.”

            “Hm, Battalion,” Zim muses, “I like it. Alright, from now we will be known as the Battalion. Any objections?”

            “No,” everyone replies.

            “Good. Now we must establish ranks,” he states, “obviously I’m the leader. But every army needs a second-in-command; someone to take over in case the leader is ever indisposed. Not that it’s likely that’ll ever happen to me, I’m just going by protocol.”

            “Now, I’m not playing favourites here. This is from an entirely objective point of view,” he says quickly, “but I think the second-in-command should be Pepito.”

            “What? Why me?” Pepito questions.

            “Yeah, why him?” Dib adds.

           “Pepito has been groomed for leadership since he was born. He may not have wanted to be, but nevertheless he understand what it takes,” Zim explains, “he is also strong, smart, and confident, all good characteristics for a leader.”

            “He’s selfless too,” Squee adds. He and Pepito share a smile.

            “Yes, I suppose that’s a good quality too,” Zim grunts, “from a hyuman perspective at least. But you see my point. Pepito, will you accept the title of second-in-command?”

            “Uh, yeah sure,” Pepito nods.

            “Great,” he smiles.

            Dib huffs with annoyance.

            “Ah, don’t be hurt, Dib,” Zim says, “you’re the technician of the team.”

            “Technician? Really?” Dib questions, “you’re acknowledging me as the smartest?”

            “W-well, I wouldn’t say you’re smarter than me,” Zim says quickly, “but you do know a lot about technology and mechanics. You can even hack into alien software.”

            “It’s not that difficult,” Dib smirks, “I am pretty good at hacking.”

            “Good. Then you’re the technician,” he declares, “Gaz, you’re the muscle.”

            “I’m fine with that,” she shrugs.

            “And Squee, you’re the strategist.”

            “What? Strategist?” Squee questions, “how am I a strategist?”

            “I think it suits you,” Zim states, “you’re smart, imaginative, and quick on your feet in more ways than one. Those are all good qualities for a strategist. Don’t you agree?”

            “Um uh w-well I guess I am imaginative, a little bit,” Squee stammers, “I don’t know if I’m all that smart. And I’m really only quick on my feet in a literal sense.”

            “Nonsense. You’ve gotten good ideas in the past. You’re a fine strategist,” Zim insists, “still if you’re unhappy with it, I can give you a different rank. What do you guys think?”

            “Bait,” Gaz grunts.

            “He’d be a good infiltrator,” Dib comments.

            “How about cutie pie?” Pepito coos.

            Squee mutters under his breath, quiet enough for almost no one to hear, “peon.”

            Zim’s antennae twitch. “What was that, Squee?”

            “Uh, nothing,” he replies quickly, “um strategist is fine. I accept the title.”

            Zim cocks his head suspiciously but nods all the same. “Good. Then the ranks have been decided.”

            “Finally we have the most important aspect of the team, and perhaps the hardest,” he says, “deciding on our emblem, our crest, our flag.”

            “Flag?” Pepito questions.

            “Sure. All the best armies have them,” Zim nods, “Irk has a dozen different emblems to represent the rank of each Irken. We won’t go that far though. We just need an emblem for the Battalion. Something we can wear and fly with pride.”

            “Squee, you’re an artist,” Pepito points out, “you can probably come up with something.”

            “Um, well, I-I’m a writer. I’m more about uh mental visuals than physical visuals, like graphics,” Squee argues.

            “Well then come up with something mentally,” Gaz orders.

            “Uh um,” Squee muses, “wh-what if we did something that combined our um differences? Like uh qualities that represented um aliens and qualities that represented humans?”

            “It would have to be simple and yet complicated in the ideals it represents,” Dib adds.

            “Yes, yes, good,” Zim nods, “Squee, take out a pencil and paper so we can start sketching.”

            “Oh, sure,” Squee nods. He reaches into his bag and takes out a mechanical pencil and an empty notebook. He hands both to Zim.

            “Okay, let’s see,” Zim muses as he sits on the floor, the pencil presses to a blank sheet. “Qualities of aliens and humans. How about antennae, round eyes, and a big smile. Oh, with fangs.”

            “Isn’t that really similar with the Irken symbol?” Dib asks as he sits next to him.  
            “Oh, you’re right. That looks a lot like the Tallest’s’ emblem,” Zim grunts.

            “How about triangular eyes, to make it look angry?” Pepito suggests.

            “Yeah, that’s good,” he nods.

            “But how does this represent human qualities?” Gaz questions.

            “What if you split it down the middle and one side has human qualities?” Squee suggests.

            “Yeah, like we’re equals or something,” Dib nods.

            “Okay. And instead of antennae it’ll have an ear,” Zim says.

            “And a round eye,” Gaz adds.

            “And a matching smile but without fangs,” Pepito concludes.

            “Should we have like official colours?” Squee asks.

            “The colours can be the preference of the bearer,” Zim replies, “all that matters is the symbol.”

            The kids spend hours down in Zim’s lab, making their emblem and discussing their plans as a team; the Battalion. Maybe it’s just dumb teenage fun. Maybe in the end it won’t amount to anything. Maybe it’ll forever be some random whim and they’ll eventually forget about it as they go on with life.

            Or maybe it will live up to the amazing idea Zim thinks it is. And maybe it’ll turn out to be the greatest thing to ever happen to these kids and this planet.


	29. Fanatics 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A young Johnny feels like he's screwed things up.

Fragments of a Past Reality: Granny Cammie

 

            Cammie Charmer hopped out of her car and marched up the front walk to her house, cane in hand. She walked in and called out, “Nny, I’m home.”

            A connecting Johnny C looked up from his sketchbook and peeked over the back of the couch. “How was work?”

            “Pretty good. These bunch of young adults came in thinking they were so tough cause they play all kinds of shooter games,” she snickered as she walked into the kitchen. “They couldn’t even handle a rifle. They were cute.”

            “This may come as a shocker to you, Granny, but most people can’t actually handle rifles,” Johnny pointed out as he tapped his pencil on the paper.

            “Yes, I suppose most people aren’t as tough as I am,” she shrugged, “what do you want for dinner?”

            “Something with chicken,” he replied.

            “How about fried chicken with rice?” she suggested.

            “Sure.”

            It had been nearly three months since Johnny started living with Cammie. It was awkward at first, for both of them. But they quickly got used to each other. They can talk freely with one another and genuinely enjoy each other’s company.

            “What are you working on?” Cammie asked.

            “There was a pretty bird on the window sill earlier. I’m sketching it and adding some of my…artistic flair,” he replied.

            “That’s what you call it,” she scoffed.

            Johnny ignored her as he drew the bloody fangs protruding from the bird’s beak.

            It was Cammie’s idea that Johnny start drawing again. He told her he used to do it when he was a kid but stopped for a number of reasons, mostly his mother and sister being murdered. She thought he should take it up again, that it would be good for him. It was a great idea. The second he started, he was immediately reminded why he loved it in the first place.

            “Nny, can you come cut this for me?” Cammie asked, “admittedly you’re better with a knife than I am.”

            “Alright,” Johnny grunted as he stood up and walked into the kitchen. He grabbed a knife and started slicing the chicken into clean, equal strips.

            Cammie started calling Johnny ‘Nny’ about two weeks after they started living together. She declared it his new nickname. He was surprised by it at first; he thought it was stupid. But it was just an act. Cammie could tell he actually liked it.

            He started calling her ‘Granny’ the next day. He declared it her new nickname. He thought it was cute because it rhymed with Nny. She pretended to be insulted, said she’s not old enough to be a granny. But she actually liked it too.

            “Okay, they’re all cut,” Johnny declared.

            “Good. Thank you,” Cammie said as she took the chicken and dropped it in the frying pan. “Wash your hands.”

            “I know, I know,” Johnny groaned as he turned on the water.

            Cammie glanced at him suspiciously as he moved back to the couch. “So uh what’d you do today?”

            “Not much. Mostly stayed inside,” Johnny replied.

            “Did you have any…‘missing’ moments?”

            “Well…there is this time, I think around noon, where everything’s black. I don’t really remember what I did,” he explained, “but I’m pretty sure I never left the house so I must not have done much.”

            Johnny’s mind wasn’t entirely there. Cammie didn’t think he was crazy, just that he was missing something crucial relating to his memory. There were times when Johnny did things that he had no recollection of. They started calling these times ‘missing’ moments, as in he was missing his memory.

            The biggest example of this was when he randomly shaved the back of his head one day while Cammie was at work. She pointed it out and he had no idea when or how he did it. He wasn’t bothered by it though. He needed a haircut anyway.

            It worried Cammie though. What triggered these moments? What did he do when his memory blanked out? What if he did something really dangerous?

            “Dinner’s ready,” she announced. Johnny got up and joined her at the kitchen table. They ate in a comfortable silence, enjoying the food and each other’s company.

            It had been a long time since Johnny felt this at ease and content, especially when another person was involved. He never realized how much he missed this feeling until he had it back.

            Unfortunately not everything was perfect. There was something trying to get in the way of Johnny’s relationship with Cammie. What was even more unfortunate was that this ‘something’ only existed to Johnny, as voices in his head.

            He had gotten used to them over the last few years so most of the time he could ignore them. But sometimes they got extra loud and extra convincing.

            The worst case of this happened one day when Cammie came home from work and Johnny was gone. She wasn’t particularly bothered; he’s allowed to go out when he wants to.

            He came back a few minutes later, his scowl even more sour than usual.

            “Where were you?” Cammie asked.

            “Just went for a walk,” he replied curtly.

            “What did you do?” she questioned suspiciously as she examined his hands. He was wearing gloves.

            “Nothing,” he snapped.

            “Uh huh,” she grunted, unconvinced. “Did you dispose of them like I taught you? At the incinerator down the street?”

            Johnny growled and looked away. “Yes.”

            “Did you clean up any mess?”

            “Yes.”

            “Were there any witnesses?”

            “No. I double checked.”

            “Good,” Cammie nodded.

            Johnny groaned and gripped his head. “Quiet.”

            “I didn’t say anything,” Cammie pointed out.

            “No, not- I said shut up,” he barked as he covered his ears.

            “Nny? Are you okay?” she asked as she reached for him.

            “Don’t!” he snapped and slapped her hand away. “Don’t touch me. And don’t call me Nny.”

            “What’s wrong?” she questioned.

            Johnny groaned in pain and held his forehead in his hands. “Why do you keep doing this? Why do you keep…nagging me? And calling me Nny?”

            “I’m just…trying to take care of you,” Cammie replied.

            “I never asked for this!” he snapped and glared at her.

            Cammie scowled and glared back. “Well I never asked for you to show up! Ungrateful little brat!”

            “You should’ve just left me on the street then!”

            “I was just trying to help you!”

            “I don’t need your help!”

            “Then leave!”

            “I will!”

            Johnny spun around and stomped through the door, slamming it as he left. Cammie glared after him before shouting angrily and hitting the couch with her cane. She stood like that for a few minutes as she panted and her anger dissolved.

            She let her temper get out of control. She knew that. There were a million better ways to have handled that. But she couldn’t run after him. If he wanted to leave then she shouldn’t stop him.

            She wiped her face and went to make dinner for one tonight.

            Johnny was missing for three days. Then one evening when Cammie was walking home, she ran into him as he was leaving an alley. They stared at each other with surprise before he quickly looked away with guilt.

            “You know,” Cammie said, “you left your blanket and clothes back home.”

            “Yeah,” Johnny muttered.

            He followed her home like a lost kitten, his eyes focused on the ground.

            “What do you want for dinner?” she asked.

            “Tacos,” he replied, “with lots of cheese.”

            “Sure,” she nodded.

            Things went back to normal after that. Johnny did his best to keep his temper and insanity in check while around Cammie. But some days he lost control and they got into snapping fits. He never stormed off again though; they just stopped talking to each other for a few minutes.

            They weren’t a perfect, little family. But they did well for each other.

            Another three months passed before everything was ruined in one fell swoop.

            It was Cammie’s day off so she spent the morning sleeping in. When she got up she noticed Johnny was gone. There was no sign that he wasn’t coming back so she tried not to worry and focused on making breakfast.

            He showed up about half an hour later. He closed the front door and just stood there, motionless and quiet.

            “Nny?” Cammie questioned.

            He didn’t acknowledge her in any way. He just stared at the floor, his face dark and blank.

            “Johnny,” she said louder as she shook his shoulder.

            He jumped and looked at her with surprise. “Oh. What?” he groaned as he rubbed his eyes.

            “Are you okay?” she asked.

            “I guess. Why?”

            “You just seemed… out of it. Where were you?”

            Johnny looked at her, bewildered. “I was gone?”

            “You don’t remember?” Cammie questioned.

            “I remember…waking up,” he muttered as he stepped forward. Something suddenly tumbled out of his sweater and onto the floor.

            It was a bloody knife.

            “Shit,” Johnny groaned, “what did I do?”

            “It’s okay,” Cammie said reassuringly. “Take the knife and go clean up. I’ll wash up the blood.”         

            Johnny nodded and picked up the knife. But as they started to go their separate ways, there was a harsh knock on the door.

            “Police! Open up!”

            Johnny and Cammie froze for a second. Then she grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pulled him in close.

            “Hide in my room,” she whispered, “do not come out. Understand?”

            “But-,” Johnny started to argue.

            “Just do it,” she hissed.

            Johnny looked at her uncertainly but quickly and quietly went down the hall and into her bedroom.

            There was another knock on the door.

            “I’ll be right there,” Cammie called out. She quickly opened a drawer in the kitchen and grabbed a small pistol. She stuck in the back of her pants before answering the door.

            “Yes?” she questioned. There were two uniformed cops, both armed with weapons and stern expressions.

            “Good morning, ma’am,” one nodded his head. “I’m Officer Nate, this is Officer Ron. We want to ask you some questions.”

            “Okay,” Cammie nodded.

            “Have you seen anything strange this morning?” he asked.

            “No. Why? What happened?”

            “There were multiple murders,” Ron replied like it was so obvious. “The clerk and all the customers in the convenience store down the street were massacred.”

            “Oh my, that’s terrible,” she exclaimed.

            “You didn’t know? You didn’t hear all the sirens?” Nate questioned.

            “No, I was sleeping. It’s my day off, you see,” Cammie shrugged.

            “Do you mind if we search the house, ma’am?” he asked.

            “Yes, I mind,” she snapped, “what kind of a question is that?”

            “It’s just protocol. Many witnesses saw the killer come this way, but nobody could describe them,” he clarified.

            “Well, he’s certainly not in my house,” she scoffed, “so if you wouldn’t mind, I have to finish making breakfast.”

            “Is that blood on your floor?” Rob asked.

            Cammie’s heart skipped a beat but it didn’t show. “Yes, but it’s an old stain.”

            “It looks fresh,” he stated.

            “Get out of our way, ma’am,” Nate ordered. Cammie stepped aside and let them into the house. She closed the door behind them. They knelt down and started examining the little puddle of blood.

            She lifted her cane and smacked them in the back of the heads.

            “He’s not a bad kid,” she growled, “I won’t let you take him.”

            The cops groaned as they rubbed their bruises. Nate started to reach for his radio. Cammie hit his hand with her cane, smashing it in his fist. Rob grabbed his gun; Cammie grabbed hers.

            Three shots were fired.

            Johnny stood in Cammie’s bedroom, panting and trembling slightly. He could hear voices but he couldn’t quite make out what they saying.

            Then he heard the shots and everything went quiet.

            He stayed still for a few minutes, his heart pounding hard enough to burst through his chest. He wasn’t sure what to do.

            “Johnny.”

            He perked up at Cammie’s voice and immediately rushed into the hall. He stopped when he saw the two police officers on the floor in a growing pool of their own blood. Cammie was sitting next to them, gripping her right leg. As he got closer he saw she had been shot and his stomach sank.

            “Listen to me, Nny,” she said sternly, “first I want you to bring me the phone. Then you have to get some garbage bags and stick these two in them. Double or triple bag them if you have to. Dispose of them at the incinerator. Go out through the back. But don’t come home afterwards. Stay out and stay hidden until dark. When you do come home, keep the doors locked and don’t let anyone in. Understand?”

            “Y-yes,” Johnny replied, “but-.”

            “We don’t have time to argue, Johnny!” Cammie snapped, “just do as I say. Bring me the phone.”

            Johnny gave her the phone and immediately started to follow the rest of his instructions. He grabbed a bunch of garbage bags and stuffed the bodies of the police officers into them. He started to carry them down the hall to the back door, but stopped and looked back at Cammie.

            “You-will you be okay?” he asked.

            She looked at him and smiled. “Don’t worry. Everything will be fine. I’ll call you as soon as I can. Now go.”

            Johnny sighed and left the house. But he didn’t head straight to the incinerator. Instead he hid behind the house and watched the front road. After about ten minutes he saw an ambulance stop at the curb and two paramedics put Cammie in the back. As soon as it left, Johnny carried the cops’ bodies to the incinerator.

           After he had disposed of the bodies, he stayed hidden until nightfall, like Cammie told him to. He spent most of the time in the shadows of back alleys.

            When the sun finally disappeared behind the horizon, he returned home. He entered through the back door. It was dark and quiet. There was a blanket covering the blood stains by the front door. Cammie was gone.

            She had been taken to the hospital. She was shot in her right leg. The bullet itself didn’t do any irreversible damage, but because of the injury she got when she was part of the armed forces, in the same leg near the same spot, it did a lot of indirect damage.

            Her leg was paralyzed. She decided to have it amputated at the knee. She didn’t see the point in keeping a lifeless limb.

            She was given the choice to get a prosthetic leg, but she declined. She chose to just have a wheelchair.

            Cammie was in the hospital for two weeks recovering. Johnny didn’t leave the house much during that time. He kept the doors locked and mostly just watched TV. He ate very rarely and stopped drawing.

            A taxi cab dropped Cammie off when she finally went home. She rolled up the front walk and unlocked her door, letting herself in. Johnny was standing a few feet away, a surprised expression on his face.

            Cammie smiled. “I’m home.”

            “Your…” Johnny croaked as he stared at her leg stump. He looked away, guiltily.

            “Johnny. Come here,” she ordered.

            He hesitantly walked up to her. She gripped the arms of her wheelchair and forced herself up onto her foot.

            “Granny, you shouldn’t-!” he started to say but immediately stopped when she leaned against him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tight.

            “It’s okay, Nny,” she whispered.

            He went rigid for a second before completely melting into her arms. He gripped the back of her shirt and buried his face into the crook of her neck. He choked on sobs as tears spilled out of his eyes. Cammie rubbed his back and patiently let him cry it out.

            Everything was different after that. Johnny was much more distant. There were times when they got along like they used to, but there was always a thin layer of awkwardness.

            He was always there for Cammie though. He wanted to help her with things that would be troublesome for most people in a wheelchair. Cammie’s disability, however, did not slow her down much. This put Johnny’s nerves at ease. So one day he gave Cammie some news.

            “I’m leaving, Granny,” he stated.

            “Leaving?” she questioned.

            “Yeah. I can’t keep running or avoiding my past,” he explained, “I’m gonna go back home and try to figure out what to do with my life.”

            “That’s very grown up of you,” she smiled.

            “Thank you for taking care of me. I know it wasn’t easy.”

            “Nah, it was a cinch,” she scoffed, “once you’re all settled in, you should come visit me.”

            “I will,” he smiled.

            “Take care of yourself,” Cammie said as she stuck out her hand.

            Johnny took it and pulled her to her foot. They hugged tightly.

            “You too,” he mumbled.

            Johnny left with a suitcase full of clothes and his blanket. He walked away from the one person who actually cared for him unconditionally since his mother and sister.

            It was better this way. No one should care so much for a psychopath.


	30. Fanatics 22.1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life is good. But Senor Diablo is planning something.

The Hideous Underworlders Part One

 

            “Happy early Birthday, honey,” Rose sings as she holds out a long, wrapped box.

            “Aw, thank you,” Pepito chimes as he starts unwrapping it. He squeals with delight when he sees the contents: a v-body electric guitar painted red with black along the edges. “It’s perfect! Thank you so much!”

            “I’m so glad you like it,” she cheers, “I got you the amp and cords too, but I didn’t want to fit them all into one box.”

            “This is so cool,” he beams as he puts the strap over his shoulder and holds his guitar. “I can’t wait to show the guys. Squee’s gonna love it.”

            “I’m sure he will, but first!” Rose declares, “I made your favorite stew for lunch.”

            “Yes!” Pepito exclaims happily and trots into the kitchen.

 

            Dib taps his fingers as he watches his computer screen. He immediately perks up as the silhouette of Agent Dark Booty appears on screen.

            “What is it, Mothman?” he asks.

            “I have a question. What do you or the other agents know about ‘sixth sense’?” Dib asks.

            “Sixth sense?” Dark Booty questions.

            “My friend told me about it,” he clarifies, “he said that there were multiple planes of existences, and that everyone possesses a sixth sense which allows them to perceive creatures from these planes. But the strength of the sixth sense varies from person to person and some don’t have it as strongly as others.”

            “Oh, I understand. But I’ve never heard it of it referred to quite like that,” Dark Booty explains, “people in our line of work refer to that phenomenon as ‘increased brain activity’ because humans who can see paranormal creatures that most don’t have such a thing.”

            “Increased brain activity?” Dib questions.     

            “Precisely. Their brain is much more active than others, even while unconscious. However nobody has been able to pinpoint cells responsible for this activity. Some have theorized that it’s not actually physical. But it must be, right? Otherwise how would we be able to spot it?”

            “Do you have increased brain activity?” Dib asks.

            “No, mine is average, though my intelligence is far above,” Dark Booty replies.

            “Do you know how I can get it?”

            “What?”

            “My brain activity-my sixth sense- it’s not strong enough to see things like ghosts. I want it to be,” Dib explains, “do you know of a way I can do this?”

            “Many have tried to do what you wish to achieve, and I suppose from an objective standpoint some have succeeded, but at what cost?” Dark Booty challenges, “Mothman, the human brain should not be tampered with. It leads to more bad side effects than it does good ones.”

            “Tell me what they’ve done,” Dib orders.

            Dark Booty sighs, defeated. “Shock therapy.”

            “Shock therapy!” he exclaims.

            “Running an electrical shock through your spinal cord and into your brain increases the activity,” he explains, “but only temporarily at best, if done properly. Too little of a shock and nothing happens; too much and you can kill yourself. However, along with a stronger sixth sense, increased brain activity can lead to other changes in your body. Stronger muscles, for example. But this is not a good thing. There’s a reason the human brain only allows its body to use ten percent of its muscle mass.”

            “Approximately, what is the perfect shock?” Dib asks.

            “I’m not sure. I’d assume it would vary depending on the height and weight of the person,” Dark Booty replies.

            “I see. Thank you for your help, Agent Dark Booty,” Dib says.

            “Mothman, be cautious. Do not bite off more than you can chew,” Dark Booty warns before hanging up.

            Dib swivels around in his chair and taps his fingers together. “Shock therapy.”

           

            “Make you what?” Johnny exclaims with shock.

            “Um, bombs,” Squee says again sheepishly.

            “Why?” he questions.

            “For uh battling purposes,” he replies, “I don’t like fighting, but I want to be useful if we’re ever attacked by an enemy. I don’t want to be a burden. So I thought maybe bombs would be…useful?”

            Johnny sighs. “Alright, I get it.”

            “You can make them, right?” Squee asks.

            “Yeah, it’s easy,” he shrugs, “and it might be a good idea for you to have something to defend yourself with. So what kind of bombs were you thinking?”

           “Well, regular explosives and maybe ones that would be good for distractions?” he suggests.

            “How about smoke bombs and flash bombs?”

            “Yeah, those would be good.”

            “Okay, I’ll get started right away,” Johnny nods, “I’ll work on them downstairs. It’ll be safer that way. Oh, I just remembered something!”

            He opens the closet in the kitchen and digs around for a second before pulling out a pair of walkie-talkies.

            “Are those the same ones you bought like weeks ago?” Squee asks.

            “Yeah. I forgot about them until now,” Johnny replies, “I’ll keep one with me while I’m downstairs and you’ll keep one upstairs and if you need me, just call me on the radio.”

            “Oh, okay. That’s a good idea,” Squee smiles.

            “Thanks,” he shrugs, “anyway, I’ll be downstairs. Call me if you need me.”

            Johnny walks through the basement door, leaving Squee alone with Shmee and Nugget. He sits on the couch and examines his walkie-talkie.

            “Are you sure this is a good idea?” Shmee asks, “bombs are dangerous and violent.”

            “If I use them properly, then I won’t have to worry about killing anyone,” Squee points out, “they’re more of a defense mechanism anyway.”

            He sighs. “I just hope I won’t have to use them.”

 

            Satan angrily claws the top of his metal desk as he watches the television. The screen is flipping through different scenes of Pepito’s recent activities: his work at Skool, spending time with his friends, and- most recently- receiving his birthday present from his mom.

            It all aggravates him so much.

            “He’s going to be fifteen in a couple days,” Satan snarls, “he should be training his dark powers and preparing to fill the world with darkness. Instead he’s worrying about Skool work and getting excited over a guitar. He’s become too influenced by humans. And it’s their fault.”

            The screen focuses on Pepito’s friends. “That alien boy, those siblings, and especially Squee. He’s been spending way too much time with them.”

            He leans back in his chair and rubs his chin. “But what if they weren’t around anymore? He’d have no more distractions, and the dark emotions their disappearances would cause would greatly raise his powers.”

            Satan smirks and snaps his fingers. An ugly, round demon with short horns appears beside him in smoke and fire. “Yes, my lord?”

            “Assemble the main force. We have work to do,” Satan orders.

            “Yes, sir,” he bows and disappears into fire.

            Satan stands up and strides away. “They’ve had this coming for a while. It’s time to show those little whelps just what kind of power I have.”


	31. Fanatics 22.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dib shows off his latest invention while Nny is working on his. But trouble is a-brewing.

The Hideous Underworlders Part Two

 

            “This is a terrible idea,” Gaz comments.

            “This is a great idea,” Dib argues.

            “No, no it isn’t,” Zim and Pepito say as they shake their heads.

            “Whatever, I don’t care what you guys think,” he snaps.

            “Then why did you invite us all to Zim’s place?” Pepito asks.

            “To share my genius ideas,” he replies.

            “So we’ll be able to help him in case he fries his head,” Gaz replies.

            Dib growls as he tapes a bunch of wires to a bike helmet. “Pepito, you brought Freddy like I asked, right?”

            “Yes, he’s here,” Pepito nods towards the ghost boy.

            “Hi, guys,” Freddy waves.

            “They can’t see you, Freddy,” he points out.

            “I know but it’s about the principle.”

            “By the way, why isn’t Squee here?” Pepito asks, “you texted him too, didn’t you?”

            “Of course,” Zim grunts, “but he said he couldn’t come because Johnny’s working on something and he wants to make sure nothing bad happens.”

            “Okay, it’s done,” Dib declares. He straps the helmet onto his head then sticks a small suction cup to the back of his neck. There are a couple electrical wires attached to the cup, taped to the back of the helmet, and running to a plug-in.

            “Alright, now the electrical charge the wires will receive when plugged into the outlet should hopefully be enough for my shock therapy,” Dib explains, “if not, I brought extras.”

            “And what if it’s too much?” Pepito asks.

            “Science is all about trial-and-error,” he declares.

            “That is an unsatisfactory answer,” he comments.

            “Don’t worry. I have my computer on standby for any sort of emergency this experiment might cause,” Zim says reassuringly.

            “I’m gonna record this,” Gaz states as she takes out her phone.

            “Alright, plug it in,” Dib orders.

            Zim obliges. The electrical charge hits Dib in the neck almost immediately. His body spasms until Zim quickly unplugs it, then he collapses motionless onto the floor.

             Everyone crowds around him and stares at him curiously.

            “Hey, Dib. Are you dead?” Pepito asks.

            “Ugh,” he groans as he sits up onto his knees. “No, I’m okay.”

            “Did it work?” Zim asks.

            Dib looks up at everyone then suddenly freezes. His eyes widen with surprise and awe as he points beside Pepito.

            “Is that Freddy?” he exclaims.

            “Huh? You can see me?” Freddy asks.

            “Y-yeah!” he cheers and jumps to his feet. “This is great! It actually worked! I increased my brain activity!”

            Zim and the others watch with surprise as Dib circles around Freddy, asking all kinds of questions at such a high velocity, Freddy has no hope of answering them. But Dib suddenly stops when he sees the ghost boy growing more and more transparent.

            “No, no! You’re disappearing!” Dib exclaims, “come back!”

            “I’m not doing anything,” Freddy says.

            “Oh, the effects must be fading,” he sighs, “Dark Booty said they would only be temporary.”

            He takes off the helmet and sits on Zim’s couch in deep contemplation. “If I could find a way to make this device mobile, then I could benefit from the effects whenever I want.”

            “Uh, Dib,” Zim says quickly as he sits next to him. “This is really dangerous. I mean you’re electrocuting your brain!  So you should maybe dial it back a bit.”

            “Don’t worry. I’ll only ever use it when I absolutely need to,” Dib says reassuringly, “I won’t just shock myself willy-nilly.”

            Zim, Pepito, and Gaz glance at each uncertainly.

            “What’s with those looks?” Dib asks, offended.

            “Well, you have to admit you can go a little overboard sometimes,” Zim points out.

            “It’s called passion,” he points out.

            “Yeah, that’s one thing you could call it,” Pepito scoffs.

            “Whatever,” Dib grunts as he stands up. “I’m going home to think up some plans for this device. See you guys.”

            Gaz half waves as she follows him out the door.

            Pepito and Zim stare after them for a second. Then Pepito looks at him. “Mind if I hang around for a bit? My mom’s at work so I don’t have a ride back home.”

            “Sure,” Zim shrugs.

            They both sit on the couch to watch TV.

           

            Squee is watching TV on the couch with Shmee in his lap, Nugget curled up beside him, and the walkie-talkie close by. He’s been checking in regularly with Nny over the last couple hours, making sure everything’s okay. The radios work great. They can hear each other quite clearly with minimal interference. And Johnny’s work seems to be going smoothly.

            The house quivers, the electricity flickers, and there is a slight, muffled ‘boom’.

            Squee looks around cautiously before grabbing the radio. “Nny? A-are you okay?”

            “Yeah, I’m- ow- fine,” he replies.

            “What was that?” he asks.

            “Oh, just a little- ugh- mishap. The good news is I figured out the perfect recipe for your explosives.”

            “Is there bad news?”

            “I’ll never be able to wear this shirt again.”

            Squee smiles wearily as he puts the walkie-talkie down. He switches off the TV and lies down next to Nugget.

            “Coming in!” Devi announces as she and Tenna march through the door.

            “Hey, guys,” Squee smiles. He grabs the radio. “Nny, Devi and Tenna are here.”

            “Eh,” he replies indifferently. “No, wait! That could work. I’ll be right up.”

            “What’s that?” Tenna asks.

            “A walkie-talkie,” Squee replies as he sits up. “Johnny and I are using them to communicate when he’s downstairs.”

            “Oh, that’s a smart idea,” she comments.

            “It’d be a better idea if he stopped going down there all together,” Devi grunts.

            Johnny bursts through the door. He’s wearing a lab coat that was probably white at one point, large plastic gloves, and a pair of goggles on his forehead. He’s carrying a plastic container with some kind of ugly coloured liquid inside.

            “Tenna, good,” he says, “here, smell this.”

            He cracks the lid of the container close to her face.

            “Why, wha-.” She doesn’t have a chance to finish. The fumes hit her face and she immediately passes out.

            “Johnny, what the hell?” Devi exclaims angrily.

            “Relax,” he grunts as he closes the container. He kneels beside Tenna, pulls off his glove, and checks her pulse. “She’s alive.” 

            “What is that stuff?” Squee asks.

            “It’ll be the contents of your smoke bombs,” Nny replies, “when the liquid makes contact with sparks, it’ll explode into dense smoke. And the fumes, as you saw, will knock out anyone they come into contact with.”

            “Cool,” he comments.

            “Smoke bombs?” Devi questions and looks at Squee curiously. “Why do you need smoke bombs?”

            Squee looks away, anxiously and guiltily.

            “Hey, if the kid wants bombs let him have bombs,” Johnny shrugs, “they’d be good for defense and protection when I’m not around.”

            “But explosives are extremely dangerous,” Devi points out.

            “He’s smart and cautious. He can handle it,” he argues.

            “Is that a fresh burn on your face?”

            Johnny flinches as he scratches the red mark on his cheek. “I said he could handle it. That doesn’t mean I always can. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m this close to figuring out a harmless way to temporarily blind someone. Later.”

            He trots away and disappears through the basement door. Devi looks at Squee accusingly. He looks away.

            “Ugh, what happened?” Tenna asks as she sits up, rubbing his head.

            “Johnny knocked you out,” Devi replies with annoyance.

            “How do you feel?” Squee asks.

            “A little woozy,” she grunts as she stands up. “But otherwise okay.”

            “Tenna, can you tell Squee that explosives are dangerous?” Devi questions.

            “Explosives are dangerous,” Tenna says apathetically as she hobbles into the kitchen.

            “I know they’re dangerous. But I want some sort of weapon that I can use to defend myself against enemies,” Squee explains, “I don’t want to be a burden. I don’t want to be protected when we’re in danger. I want to be able to defend myself.”

            “That’s very admirable,” Tenna says as she sits next to him with a glass of water.

            “You really think so?” Squee questions.

            “Sure. It sucks when people protect you from danger. And it’s incredibly invigorating when you finally protect yourself,” she says.

            Devi sighs and sits with them. “Well, as long as you don’t blow yourself up then I guess I can be okay with it.”

            Squee smiles gratefully.

 

            Gir claps along to the childish music playing over the TV. Minimoose is hovering next to him, his usual frozen smile on his face. Skoodge has wandered off somewhere. Pepito and Zim are sitting on the couch, not paying too much attention. Pepito’s fiddling with his guitar and Zim is watching him curiously.

            “Hey, can I ask you something?” he asks.

            “Sure,” Pepito replies.

            “Okay, just know I’m not judging you or anything. I’m just curious,” he clarifies, “but you’ve had the power and resources to take over the world for years. So why don’t you?”

            Pepito rests his head against the neck of his guitar and sighs. “I-I don’t know. When I was a kid I wanted to do it but that’s only because my dad crammed it down my throat for so long. It wasn’t until later I realized I had no actual passion for that. You’d think that after having the idea in my head for so long it’d be all I think about.”

            “I think the thing is…it’s not just taking over the world,” he explains, “as the Antichrist, I’m supposed to plunge it into darkness. I’d effectively destroy it. I…I don’t want to do that.”

            “What about you? Why do you want to take over the world?”

            Zim stares at the ceiling as he considers the question. “When I first arrived here, it was my job. Well, actually my job was to study the planet and learn its weaknesses. But after I was banished, it became more of a…revenge tactic. To show The Tallest I could do it. But now…” He trails off and grows quiet.

            Pepito stares at him curiously then smiles. “Well, no matter the reason I think you could make great change. You’re like personified diversity. And your ambitions and determination makes you a good leader. I would be proud to be your second-in-command.”

            “What do you mean ‘would’?” Zim smirks, “that’s what you are.”

            They grin at each other, their fangs shining in the light.

            Their smiles disappear as the electricity starts flickering and the ground starts trembling.

            “What is that?” Zim asks.

            They quickly run outside and look around. All the neighbors are outside too, muttering curiously.

            “What’s going on, guys? An earthquake?” Skoodge asks as he runs up to them.

            “No, it’s something else,” Pepito mumbles as he rubs his forehead. “Something worse.”

            A few blocks away, the ground is splitting in half. It tears wide, causing building, vehicles, and civilians to fall into the flames in its depths. The fire suddenly rises up like an elevator, carrying a large horde of horrifying creatures, varying from small monkey-like animals with horns to a huge three-headed dog. And at the front of the army stands Senor Diablo- Satan.

            He pays no mind to the panicking civilians as he turns and faces his subordinates.

            “Split into four groups,” he orders, “find your target and destroy them by any means necessary. Do not hesitate. Kill anyone who gets in your way. Disperse!”

              Three large groups split off from the main force. The rest stay with Satan. He turns and marches away, his team following close behind.

            People trample each other as they run away screaming, but he ignores them. His only interest is his target.

            Zim’s base.


	32. Fanatics 22.3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hell's Army attacks.

The Hideous Underworlders Part Three

 

            “I need to go,” Pepito says frantically as he rushes around Zim’s living room, grabbing all of his stuff. “I need to go. I need to get as far away from everything as possible.”

            “What? Pepito, what is going on?” Zim asks.

            “Dad’s finally snapped. He’s coming after me. Oh, I knew this was going to happen,” Pepito exclaims.

            “That earthquake was from your dad?”

            “It was him and his army rising up from the depths of Hell, or some dumb cliché like that,” he replies, “the point is if I get away from everyone, then he won’t hurt anyone.”

            Pepito suddenly freezes as he starts heading for the door. “No, wait. He might, actually. He might go after all of you guys since you’re all my friends.”

            “Okay, new plan,” he declares as he sticks Skoodge, Gir, and Minimoose under his arm and grabs Zim’s hand. “We’re leaving. We’re going to hide and he’ll never find us.”      

            “What?” Zim exclaims, “no way! Zim doesn’t hide!”

            “He does when Hell’s Army is after him,” Pepito argues, “now shut up and let’s go. We gotta find the others before he does.”

            He drags a bellyaching Zim, a confused Skoodge, an excited Gir, and a compliant Minimoose out the door and into the nearest back alley as fast as he can. His horns are hurting. Something bad is about to happen. He just hopes he reaches his friends before his father does.

 

            “Okay, here we go!” Johnny announces as he rests three objects on the coffee table, displaying them to Squee, Devi, and Tenna. The first is round and black with a thin, metal circle sticking out the top and a white smiley face painted on it. The second is very similar but with a metal stick-like piece in the top and a frowny face with X-ed out eyes painted on it. The third is a small, silver cylinder with a button on top and a wide-eyed surprised face.

            “How come they have faces?” Devi asks.

            “Whimsy,” Johnny replies plainly and points to the one with the smiley face. “This one is the regular explosive. I call it the ‘Smiley Bomb’.” He points to the frowny face. “This one is the smoke bomb, or the ‘Sleepy Bomb’.” He points to the surprised face. “And finally this one is the flash bomb, or the ‘Startling Bomb’.”

            “Cool,” Squee smiles.

            “It didn’t take you long to make them,” Tenna comments.

            “Eh, bombs are easy once you figure out the recipe,” Johnny shrugs, “now, let me show you how to use them.” He grabs the Smiley Bomb and wraps his finger around the trigger.

            “Whoa!” the girls exclaim and jump to their feet.

            “Calm down,” he scoffs, “these ones are duds. They’re just props.”

            They sigh and sit back down.

            “Okay, pay attention, Squee,” Johnny demands, “for the Smiley Bomb, you grip the trigger, turn it clockwise, and pull. Got it?”

            “Yup,” Squee nods.

            “Alright, do it.” He hands him the bomb. Squee does just as instructed and pulls out the pin, with minor difficulty. Despite Johnny assuring them they’re just duds, the girls still flinch. Fortunately, it doesn’t explode.

            “Good. The Sleepy Bomb is set up a bit differently,” Johnny explains as he grabs the second explosive. “You just gotta squeeze the trigger until it clicks then pull. Here.”  
            Squee takes the bomb and, just like with the first one, pulls out the trigger with minor difficulty. They’re stuck in there pretty well.

            “The Startling Bomb is easy. All you gotta do is press down on the button,” Johnny states, “now all the bombs have about a ten second timer, give or take two seconds. So just activate, throw, and keep as far away from them as you can. However, the Smiley Bomb will explode upon impact. So if you were to throw it really hard a brick wall, it will explode instantly, no matter the timer. Understand?”

            “I do,” Squee nods.

            “Good. I made five of each for now but I will make more later,” he says as he hands him a sack full of the bombs.

            “Thanks, Nny,” Squee smiles gratefully as he takes them. “I’ll keep them in my bag, at least until I get a more convenient way of carrying them.”

            “Just be careful with them,” Devi warns, “seriously. Don’t blow yourself up.”

            “Devi, he can handle it,” Johnny groans, “he’s Squee for fuck sakes.”

            Squee smiles bashfully as he sticks the little sack into his tote bag and hangs it across his chest. “I’m going to run to the store for juice and cereal.”

            “Odd combination,” Tenna comments.

            “Grab a box of those instant noodles while you’re there,” Johnny orders.

            “Sure. I’ll be back in a bit,” he says as he heads out the door.

            “Don’t blow anything up!” Devi calls after him.

            “You’re worrying too much,” Johnny scoffs.

            “He’s fifteen, Johnny. He shouldn’t have bombs in his bag,” she snaps.

            “He also shouldn’t have to worry about monsters attacking him from the shadows,” he retorts, “but in case you haven’t noticed, Squee’s not what society would consider ‘a normal fifteen year old’. Those bombs are good thing. Now he has something to defend himself with than just that bear.”

            “Johnny’s right, Devi,” Tenna admits, “besides, it was Squee’s idea.”

            Devi sighs and sits back in the couch, defeated. Johnny sits beside her and turns on the TV. He flips through the channels for a few minutes, searching for something interesting.

            “Wait, go back,” Tenna demands, “I think I saw something.”

            Johnny flips back through the previous channels until they end up on City News. There’s a huge red banner on screen reading ‘City in Danger’, hundreds of civilians panicking in the background, and the news reporter trying to explain something over the screaming.

            “I repeat: monsters have risen out of the ground!” she exclaims, “they are rampaging all over the city! Nobody knows why they’re here! Please, evacuate as soon as possible!”

            She’s suddenly knocked over by a mob of people. The camera man soon follows and the TV fills with static.

            “Uh oh,” Tenna says.

            “What the fuck?” Devi questions.

            “Do you two have your guns?” Johnny asks.

            “Yeah,” she replies.

            “Good,” he grunts as he stands up and throws on his trench coat. “We gotta find Squee. Nugget, come on.”

            The cat and girls jump off the couch and follow Johnny out of the house and to his car. He starts it and drives off quickly, his hands gripping the steering wheel.

 

            Gaz is sitting on the living room couch in the Membrane household, calmly playing her Game Slave. Dib is upstairs, working on his dumb project. Neither of them have any idea of the trouble heading their way.

            The doorbell suddenly rings. Gaz groans with annoyance and stands up, setting her game to the side. She walks up to the door and opens it. Standing on the front step is a large group of fanged, horned beast of varying sizes. All of them are ugly and terrifying. Or they would be to anyone else.

            Gaz slams the door shut and sits back on the couch, returning to her game.

            The demons smash through the door and into the living room.

            “Beat it,” she snaps, “you’re messing with my gaming time.”

            “Human girl,” one of them snarls, “we have come to annihilate you in the name of Lord Satan.”

            “Satan?” she questions, “so this is because of Pepito then? How annoying.”

            She saves her game, turns off the device, and rests it on the couch. One of the demons grows impatient and rushes towards her. It jumps over the back of the couch, fangs and claws bared. Gaz spins around and catches it by his horn. It stares at her with surprise.

            “That means I gotta beat you all up,” she sighs, “and I was this close to finally defeating that boss.”

            Without another word, she spins on her heel and whips the demon into the wall. The other demons roar and charge her. She jumps back, grabs the left legs of the coffee table, and swings it, smacking them all to the floor. Then she lifts it above her head and drops it on them.

            She rubs her arms and stares at the pile for second, suspicious. A claw suddenly bursts through the table. The demons tear it to shreds and stand up. They’re all unharmed.

            Gaz snarls. She grabs her bat, which is resting against a nearby wall, and wields it like a sword.

            “Come on,” she challenges.

            The demons roar and charge her at once. She starts smashing them with her bat, hitting them in the head or stomach. She beats them down, one by one, but they keep getting back up, seemingly unharmed and unfazed.

            Gaz pants as she stares at them. This is going to be harder than she thought.

            “What the hell is going on?” Everyone stops and looks up the stairs, at a very confused and surprised Dib.

            “These demons are attacking us because we’re friends with Pepito,” Gaz replies.

            “Demons?” he questions.

            “Yes. Now get down here and help me!” she orders.

            “Hang on,” he says quickly and runs off.

            “Dib!” she barks.

            The demons charge her. She lifts her bat, prepared to take them head-on for a third time.

            The demon in the front of the pack is suddenly hit in the face with a splash of water. It stops with confusion and starts to turn towards the direction it came from, but stops abruptly.

It starts screaming in pain. It collapses to the floor and grips its face as steam rises from where the water hit. Gaz and the other demons watch with surprise.

            “Ha!” Dib laughs victoriously from the top of the stairs, a super soaker in hand. “Holy water. I always keep a bottle or two in my closet for just this sort of situation. Paranormal investigators are always prepared.”

            Gaz lifts her bat and beats the wounded demon’s head with it. This time, it doesn’t get up.

            The other demons back away uncertainly as Dib walks down the stairs. He stands next to his sister and they face the horde together.

            “So, you’re attacking us because of Pepito, huh?” he asks, “planning to get us out of the picture in the hopes that he’ll do his duty as the Antichrist? Well, you made a grave mistake.”

            Dib pumps up his soaker and Gaz raises her bat.

            “You messed with the Membrane’s.”

           

            Squee walks leisurely down the sidewalk, Shmee sitting comfortably on his head. The sky is a beautiful blue, there’s a nice breeze, and birds can be heard chirping nearby. Everything is peaceful.

            And then suddenly it isn’t.

            It’s not an obvious change. Normal people wouldn’t notice it. But Squee isn’t normal.

            He stops abruptly and looks around. He grabs Shmee and holds him close to his chest, kneading him nervously.

            “Squee,” Shmee warns.

            “Yeah,” Squee sighs, “I think I’ll leave shopping for later.”

            He turns and starts speed walking back home. His eyes shift back and forth as he looks out for the cause of his unease. He has to spot it before it spots him. He’ll stand a better chance that way.

            The hairs on the back of his neck suddenly perk up and goosebumps spread all over his body. He’s being followed.

            He takes a sudden left turn and sure enough his pursuer does the same. He dares not turn around and see who- or what- it is. All that matters now is losing it.

            Without warning, Squee starts running. He takes off at high speed and turns right down another road. Then a left and then another right. No one knows these streets like he does; he can easily lose his follower.

            After a few minutes, he stops behind a building and ducks in the shadows. He holds his breath and listens. He doesn’t hear anything. He doesn’t sense anything either.

            He takes a deep breath and starts to stand up. But then he senses a dozen presences appear at once. Squee freezes. They’re trying to surround him. He needs to get out of here.

            He races across the alley and jumps, grabbing the top of a fence. He clambers over it and falls to the ground on the other side. He quickly jumps to his feet and runs away.

            “Shmee, what’s chasing me?” he asks.

            “I don’t know,” he replies, “but they’re not human. Just focus on getting home.”

             He takes a turn down an alley and races towards the road. They’re closing in on him. They’re behind him and at his sides. But if he can get to a wider area, then he might stand a better chance. He just has to reach the road…

            He slides to a stop as something appears at the end of the alley, cutting off his escape. He falls to ground as he stares up at a chunky, horned monster with drooling fangs and long claws. It stares down at him with beady eyes and chortles.

            Squee tries to scramble to his feet and run the other way, but the monsters are there too. He’s completely surrounded.

            “Don’t try to resist and we might make your death a little painless,” one of them suggests. They start closing in on him. He stands up and watches fearfully. They’re even crawling down the walls. He has no way to escape.

            “Shmee!” he cries.

            The bear springs out of his arms and roundhouse kicks the first demon in the face, knocking him to the ground. Squee wastes no time. He jumps over the monster and lands on the main road. The other demons roar and start to chase him. Shmee meets them head-on and starts beating them down with his little teddy bear limbs.

            Squee attempts to run away but stops when he meets an incredibly horrifying sight: a giant, three-headed black dog taking up the entire road before him.

            “It’s a giant hell hound,” Squee breathes.

            “It’s _the_ giant hell hound,” Shmee corrects as he lands on his head. “Cerberus, guard dog to Hell.”

            “Hell?” he questions, “then this is Satan’s doing.”

            The dog stares down at him and licks his drooling chops.

            “Easy, doggy,” Squee coos as he slowly starts to back away, careful not to make any sudden movements.

            A demon suddenly erupts from the alley and charges him. Shmee jumps off his head and punches it in the face.

            “Run, Squee!” he orders.

            Squee turns on his heel and tries to run away. Cerberus barks, the noise causing the entire ground to shake. Squee stumbles on his feet, and Cerberus lashes forward.

            The three heads bite at Squee. He jumps out of the way, just barely dodging their fangs. The dog lifts it front paws and slams them on the ground, causing another mini quake. Squee struggles to keep his balance and run away.

            The heads lash at him again. This time the middle head gets him. Squee screams out in pain as one of the smaller, front fangs sink into his left shoulder. He grips the fang and holds on tight as Cerberus swings his heads up. The fang snaps off in Squee’s hand and remains embedded in his shoulder as he flies up into the air.

            “Squee!” Shmee exclaims.

            The middle head opens his mouth wide and Squee lands right on his tongue. He swallows. Squee screams as he slips into the deep, dark tunnel.

           

            Johnny suddenly lurches. He stops the car and rests his forehead against the steering wheel as he tries to catch his breath.

            “Johnny? What’s wrong?” Devi asks.

            “I…I don’t know,” he replies. He grips his chest where his heart would be and swallows hard as his eyes start to sting.

            “Something terrible just happened.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! If you're interested, I also have a Deviantart ( https://www.deviantart.com/murderousmanic18 ) and a Tumblr (http://snapped-pencil.tumblr.com/) both of which have all the Fanatics chapters up to the most recent update as well as the two prequels and tons of Fanatics art, among other things. Feel free to check it out!


	33. Fanatics 22.4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our heroes fight off Hell's Army.

The Horrible Underworlds Part Four

 

            Pepito, Zim, Gir, Minimoose, and Skoodge tiptoe down a dark alley. They peek around every corner to make sure it’s safe before moving on. They have to be as cautious as possible.

            And it’s driving Zim nuts.

            “This is ridiculous!” he exclaims.

            “Shush!” Pepito, Skoodge, Gir, and Minimoose snap.

            “No I will not shush!” he barks, “why are we hiding? I could take these monsters!”

            “I don’t know, Zim,” Skoodge says, “if they’re as strong as Pepito says, I think it’s a good idea to hide.”

            “Zim does not hide!” he shouts.

            “Hide!” Pepito squeaks. Everybody quickly ducks in the shadows of a dumpster. They hold their breath as they hear heavy footsteps coming down a turn to the right of them.

            Zim and Skoodge’s antennae twitch. They hesitantly look up.

            “Move!” Zim exclaims. He tackles everyone out of the way and they roll into the open as a small demon flies at them from a roof. It hits the gravel hard but stands up completely unharmed.

            The group jumps to their feet as demons of varying sizes surround them.

            “Young Lord,” they purr and bow to Pepito.

            “N-no, you got the wrong guy!” Pepito says quickly, shaking his head.

            “Yeah. I’m the only lord here,” Zim says affirmatively.

            “Blasphemy,” one of the demons snarls and charges him. Zim’s PAK opens up, releasing his spider legs. They lunge at the demon. It quickly stops and jumps out of the way, so they stab harmless into the ground.

            “Gir! Offensive mode!” Zim barks.

            Gir’s eyes turn red as he jumps into the air. He lands amidst the demons and starts beating on them. While he is able to the send them flying, his attacks don’t slow them down much.

            “They’re tough,” Zim comments.

            “Zim, stop!” Pepito begs and grabs his arm. “You’re just gonna make it worse!”

            Zim grabs the front of Pepito’s shirt and shoves him back behind him. “Gir, pull back!” he orders, “Minimoose, fire!”

            Gir jumps back and lands on Zim’s head, a goofy smile on his face. Minimoose hovers in front of them, his little mouth open. He glows yellow for a brief second before firing a huge energy beam. It tears through the majority of the demons, reducing them to nothing, along with the corner of a building.

            Minimoose closes his mouth and squeaks.

            Zim’s PAK opens up and two pink lasers guns fly out. He catches them and starts firing at the survivors. He riddles them with more holes than Swiss cheese and smirks when they all fall to the ground, dead.

             He turns to Pepito, grinning. “See? They’re nothing I can’t handle.”

           Pepito stares at him with surprise. Then his eyes slowly leer off to the left and he gasps. “Zim, look out!”

            Zim spins around seconds too late to see a demon’s mouth inches from his face. His PAK isn’t able to react fast enough.

            A splash of water hits the side of the demon’s face. It screams and collapses to the ground as steam starts rising from his skin.

            “Woo, that was close,” Dib sighs with relief as he jogs towards them from down the alley, super soaker in hand. Gaz is beside him, holding her bat.

            “Dib!” Zim exclaims happily. They hug tightly, big smiles on their faces. Gaz walks by them and finishes the demon off with her bat.

            “How did you guys find us?” Zim asks as they split apart.

            “We heard the fight,” Dib replies, “I’m so glad we got here in time.”

            “What did you shoot him with?” Pepito asks as he examines the super soaker.

            “Holy water,” he answers as he starts to hand him the gun.       

            “What? Don’t point that at me!” Pepito exclaims as he jumps back.

            “So you guys got attacked too?” Zim questions.

            “Yup. Right at our house,” Gaz says.

            “We handled them quickly and left to find you guys,” Dib adds.

            “They’re after all of you because of me,” Pepito mutters.

            “We know,” Dib states, “they probably see us as a distraction or something. If they get us out of the picture, then you’ll go back to your Antichrist duties. At least that’s what they want.”

            “Yeah, and we’re just your friends,” Gaz comments, “imagine what they’d do Squee.”

            A terrified, awkward silence falls over the group.

            “We need to find Squee,” Zim growls.

            “I bought my dad’s car,” Dib says, “come on.”

            They hurry out of the alley and onto the road, where Membrane’s car is parked. They clamber in and quickly drive off to the South End.

            Little do any of them know, they are being followed. Satan stands at the top of a tall building and watches them with cold eyes.

           

            Devi drives the car down the eerily empty streets. Johnny is sitting in the passenger seat, Nugget curled up in his lap as he stares out the window with sore eyes. He’s in all kinds of pain. His head, his stomach, everything is aching. And he has no idea why.

            “Everyone must’ve really evacuated, huh?” Tenna says from the backseat.

            “Looks like it,” Devi nods.

            “What are these things that are attacking?” she asks.

            “Who knows,” she grunts.

            Johnny slowly sits up. He rubs his forehead as he rolls down the window. He leans back in his seat and closes his eyes, letting the wind blow through him. He’s not relaxing, not even a little bit. With the window open, he can hear and smell things.

            “Johnny?” Devi questions.

            He opens his eyes and looks down the road. “Take the next left. We’re close.”

            “Close to what?” she asks.

            He doesn’t reply. So she turns left down a thin but long alley. She drives slowly, not wanting to scratch the car on one of the side buildings.

            Something appears in front of them, at the far end of the alley. She stops the car and they stare at it with bewilderment. Nugget hisses.

            “What is that?” Devi asks.

            “The reason the city is freaking out,” Johnny grunts.

            The monster is thin and lanky but has large horns. It’s holding two long spears in each hand. It snarls, drool dripping from its jaws.

            “Ram it!” Tenna exclaims.

            “Don’t,” Johnny snaps, “it’ll probably be able to stop it or something.”

            “What do we do?” Devi asks.

            “Stay in the car,” he orders as he sets Nugget on the console. He opens the door and steps out. The girls watch, speechless as he walks around to the front of the car.

            “You’re one of the fuckers I’ve been sensing,” he growls, “what are you? Why are you here?”

            “We have come to abolish the enemies of Lord Satan and all who get in our way,” it replies, “and you’re getting in our way.”

            “Satan’s enemies?” Johnny questions, “like who?”

            “The runts who have been distracting the young lord.”

            “Young lord? You mean that Antichrist bastard?”

            “Blasphemer!” it snaps. It lifts one of its spears and throws it at Johnny. He jumps out of the way and it whizzes past his face. The girls shriek when it smashes through the car’s windshield and stabs the passenger seat.

            Johnny growls and glares at the demon. “I don’t have time to deal with this bullshit.”

            He marches down the alley, an angry scowl on his face. The demon is thrown off from the look in his eye. It’s not human, it’s barely demonic. It’s the look of a completely unknown beast.

            It roars with defiance and throws its other spear. This time Johnny doesn’t dodge. He stops and faces the weapon head on. He catches it, his hands wrapping around the handle. The force of the throw pushes him back a few feet.

            The demon smirks when he sees Johnny bend forward, his fingers gripping the spear. It thinks it’s harmed him.

            Johnny grins and pulls the spear away. The blade didn’t even pierce his stomach. He lifts it above his head and spins it around.

            “You call that a throw?” he taunts. He hurls the spear down the alley. Dust clouds fly up and the buildings seem to bend to the force of its wind. The demon can’t even hope to dodge.

            It shatters it like glass, but much messier. Discoloured blood, bones, and skin fly off everywhere. The spear clatters to the road.

            Johnny exhales and lowers his hand. He stretches and rubs his temple. He turns around, jumps onto the hood of the car, and takes the other spear out of the windshield. He drops it on the road before climbing into the passenger seat.

            “Let’s go,” he orders.

            “What about the car?” Devi asks.

            “It’s fine. Just drive.”

            She starts the car and they leave the alley. They drive through the gore puddle and take a left down the road.

            “There are others nearby,” Johnny says, “I can feel it.”

           

            Dib parks the car at the curb in front of house number 777. Everyone hops out and rushes to the front door. Zim knocks but there’s no answer.

            “I’m sure he’s fine,” Dib insists, “he probably just…went out somewhere.”

            Pepito rushes next door and rings the doorbell. Colton answers.

            “Colton, where’s Squee?” he asks.

            “I think I saw him head to the store a few blocks away,” he replies, “hey, did you guys hear about the city evacuation?”

            “Yeah, don’t worry about it,” Zim says quickly as he butts in. “Just stay inside. Come on, guys.”           

            Colton watches them leave with confusion before closing the door. They leave the car at Johnny’s and hurry down the street.

            “He’s fine. Right?” Dib questions.

            Nobody can reply. Their stomachs and squeedlyspooches are tied in knots of worry.

            They rush down through the streets to the convenience store but it’s closed and there’s no sign of Squee anywhere.

            “He’s not here,” Gaz observes.

            “I’m gonna try calling him,” Pepito decides and pulls out his phone. He starts to hit his speed dial but is immediately interrupted.

            “It won’t help.”

            They spin around. Standing behind them is Satan. He’s smiling an evil grin as he approaches them. His army appears behind him: the last surviving demons and a giant three-headed dog.

            “I’m afraid no form of communication can reach Squee now,” Satan says, “except for maybe a séance.”

            “What?” Dib questions fearfully.

            “He’s the first of many of my problems to be dealt with,” he explains, “he tried to put up a fight but let’s face it, he wasn’t much of a fighter. I don’t understand what you saw in him, Pepito. You deserve somebody much more powerful as a mate. But now you can start over because Squee is gone.”

            Dib, Gaz, and Skoodge gasp with surprise. Zim growls with anger. Pepito just stares, speechless, a look of woe on his face as his heart sinks to his feet.

            “You’re lying!” Zim barks.

            “I am not,” Satan says sternly, “Squee was eaten by Cerberus here.”

            He snaps his fingers and one of the demons throws something at the kids’ feet. It’s a rather tattered Shmee. They stare at him with surprise and sorrow.

            Zim picks him up and glares at Satan. “You’ll pay for this.”

            “You see what happens, Pepito?” Satan asks, “you see what happens when you defy me? You suffer; other people suffer. I’ll give you one last chance. Come back to me and I’ll leave your friends alone. Refuse, and they’ll all suffer the same fate.”

            Pepito stares at the ground, a forlorn expression on his face. He clenches his fists and starts to step forward but gets blocked off by Zim’s arm.

            “He’s not going anywhere,” he states, “you think you’re so tough. We’ve already destroyed half your army; we’ll destroy the rest too. And you along with it! You’re nothing!”

            “Yeah!” Dib and Gaz exclaim.

            “Woo!” Gir cheers.

            Minimoose squeaks.

            “You dare mock me?” Satan snaps, “I have more power than you can possibly imagine! I could destroy you with a flick of my finger!”

            “Then why do you need your son or your army to do all your dirty work?” Dib challenges, “face us yourself!”

            “Insolent whelp!” Satan barks. Behind him his demons start chattering and squirming angrily. They’re ready to fight.

            Zim takes out his laser guns, Gaz lifts her bat, Dib readies his water gun, and Gir and Minimoose stand by their master’s feet. A huge battle is about to take place.

            Everybody freezes at the sound of a faint explosion. And then another. And another. A whole barrage of explosions! They look around as they try to find its source.

            Cerberus starts whining. Everybody looks at him as blood starts dripping from all three mouths. He starts violently coughing up all kinds of bodily fluids.

            The middle head starts hacking, like he’s trying to throw something up. He succeeds and something tumbles out of his mouth in a puddle of blood and vomit. Cerberus moans as he collapses onto his stomach.

            Everybody watches with surprise as the dog’s spew starts moving. It untangles itself and stands up.

            It’s Squee! And he’s in rough shape. Most of his clothes and bag are burnt, a bit of his hair is singed, and he’s covered in bloody splotches. He’s gripping his left arm which has a small, bloody hole in the shoulder and is loosely holding what appears to be a small fang. He pants as he looks around, first at Cerberus, then at the surrounding demons, then at his friends down the road.

            They all stare at him with stunned silence.

            “You!” Satan barks angrily, “how did you survive? What have you done?”

            He lifts his hand, aiming to smack Squee. He covers his head with his good arm and tries to dodge, but he can’t move very well.   

            A little, grey car with a missing windshield suddenly flies down the adjacent road, ramming into Satan. He bounces off the hood and tumbles across the roof before slamming into the road. The car swerves around before coming to a jerky stop between the kids and the demons.

            Chicken Nugget suddenly jumps through the windshield and charges towards the demons. She jumps at the one closest to Squee, digging her claws into its face. It screams as it falls to the ground.

            Johnny steps out of the passenger seat marches up to the army. Meanwhile, Tenna opens up the back door.

            “Everyone get in, quick!” she says. The kids obey and quickly scramble into the backseat. It’s a tight squeeze but they manage to fit.

            “Nny,” Squee smiles with relief.

            “Hey, buddy. How are you doing? Can you walk?” Johnny asks.

            “Um,” Squee replies uncertainly.

            “Don’t worry about it. Grab on,” he orders. Squee wraps his arms around Nny’s neck and he scoops him up with one arm. He reaches into Squee’s bag with the other one and pulls out a Startling Bomb.

            “Nugget, let’s go!” Johnny orders as he starts backing up to the car. Nugget stops tearing up demons and runs back to the car. Johnny activates the bomb and throws it into the throng of demons. Then he holds Squee with both arms and races back into the car.

            “Drive!” he demands as he closes the passenger door.

            Devi immediately obliges. She hits the gas and drives away from the demons just as the flash bomb goes off, creating a blinding white light. Everybody quickly covers their eyes and looks away from the mirrors to avoid getting blinded.

            “Okay. Back to my house,” Johnny orders.

            Zim squirms around in the pile of teens in the backseat until he’s able to reach the passenger seat. “Squee, here,” he says as he hands him Shmee.

            Squee smiles and gratefully takes his bear. “Thanks, Zim.”

            “What happened to you?” Dib asks.

            “I’ll tell you when we get back home,” Squee replies as he closes his eyes. He hugs his bear and rests his head against Nny’s chest.

            They reach the C house in a few minutes without incident. Devi parks the car behind Dib’s and they hurry into the house. Johnny rests Squee on the couch and goes to get the first-aid kit. Nugget curls up next to him. Everyone else stands nearby.

            “So Cerberus really did eat you?” Zim asks.

            “Well, I don’t think ‘eat’ is the right word,” Squee replies, “swallowed is more accurate.”

            “What happened?” Devi asks, “why are you so bloody? What is that thing you’re holding?”

            “It’s his fang,” Squee replies as he rests it on the coffee table. “I actually forgot I had it. As for why I’m so bloody…”

            He sighs and smiles a sad and embarrassed smile. “Sorry, Devi. I couldn’t keep from blowing myself up.”

            Everyone quiets down as Johnny comes back and sits on the couch with the first-aid kid. He soaks a cotton ball with rubbing alcohol and faces Squee.

            “This is gonna sting,” he warns. He starts dabbing the hole in Squee’s shoulder. He winces and covers his mouth to keep from crying out.

            “Fortunately it’s not that deep so you probably won’t need stitches,” Johnny says, “how’d you get this?”

            “Cerberus bit me. That’s how I got his fang,” Squee replies.

            “And the splotches? They’re burns, right?”

            “Yeah. When he swallowed me I landed in his stomach acid. It was easy enough to stay out of it. He’s swallowed a lot of debris,” Squee explains, “the majority of my burns would be from my own Smiley Bombs.”

            “You have bombs?” Dib asks with disbelief. Everybody immediately shushes him.

            “Um to escape I throw the bombs into his stomach acid and when they exploded, rode the waves up his throat until I could grab his uvula and get thrown up,” Squee concludes, “so I effectively blew myself up.”

            “That’s really gross and awesome,” Johnny comments.

            “You also blew up the insides of Cerberus,” Tenna points out, “there’s no way he’ll be able to fight now.”

            “Yeah. So I guess I can forgive you for blowing yourself up just this once,” Devi shrugs.

            Squee smiles gratefully.

            “Squee,” Pepito mutters guiltily, “I’m so sorry this happened to you.”

            “Don’t  be,” Squee says, “it’s not your fault. And don’t think for even a second that any of this is.”

            Pepito smiles at him, but it’s forced.

            Johnny finishes cleaning the wound then wraps it in a bandage. “That’ll do for now. Go shower and wash that blood off, then I’ll clean the rest,” he demands.

            “Okay,” Squee nods and stands up.    

             “Squee,” Zim says quickly and approaches him. “You don’t have to participate in the rest of this. Leave it to us. You just stay inside and rest up. You dealt a good blow by taking out Cerberus. It was um… it was good work.”

            “You’re complimenting me?” Squee questions happily.

            “Don’t get used to it,” he snaps, “now go clean up. And do not leave this house. Understand?”

            “Sure,” Squee smiles.

            “That’s ‘yes, sir’,” Zim demands.

            “No it isn’t.”

            “Fine,” he sighs, “just got clean up.”

            Squee smiles and hurries down the hall to the bathroom.

            Johnny waits until he hears the door shut before standing up. “Pepito. Come here.”

            Pepito looks at him with surprise. He would never admit he’s scared of Johnny. And he would deny anyone who would say his knees are shaking as he walks up to him. But he can’t help but feel a little nervous as he looks up at him, into those dark, soulless eyes.

            “I’m going to ask you something,” Johnny says, “and I want you to be completely truthful with me because I will know if you are lying.”

            Pepito gulps and nods.

            “Do you love Squee?”

            He looks at him with surprise. But amidst his anger there is also inquiry. He just honestly wants to know.

            Pepito glances back at the others. They all look curious.

            He stares at his feet as a light blush spreads across his cheeks. “Yeah.”

            Johnny cocks his eyebrow and sighs. “Fine. Then I’ll leave you alone.”

            He grabs Pepito by the front of his shirt and pulls his up so they’re just about eye level. “But if you ever hurt Squee intentionally or otherwise in any way, for any reason other than because trouble is attracted to him, I will kill you. And there will be nothing campy or comical about it. Got it?”

            Pepito shudders and nods.

            “Good,” he snaps and shoves him back. “Now get the fuck out. All of you.”

            The kids quickly scramble out of the house. Devi and Tenna refuse to leave though. Much to Johnny’s dismay, they insist on spending the night.

            The kids stride down the front walk back to Membrane’s car.

            “So what’s the plan?” Gaz asks.

            “We have to figure out Satan’s next step,” Zim replies, “if we can do that then we’ll have a better chance at stopping him.”

            “How do we do that?” Pepito asks,

            “We’ll brainstorm,” he declares, “you guys will stay at the base tonight. It’ll be safer that way.”

            “Yay! Slumber party!” Gir cheers.

            The others laugh while Zim just gets angry and they all head to the base in Dib’s car.

 

            “This is terrible!” Satan shouts angrily, “I can’t believe they were able to wipe out half of my army! Even that blasted Squee took out my Hell Hound! How can they be this powerful?”

            He sighs and leans against a wall, rubbing his sore horns. “I gravely underestimated them. Too bad they’re such impudent little brats. They would be great additions to my army.”

            “But right now I need to focus on finding a way to get Pepito to join me again,” he rambles, “there must be a way that even those kids can’t fix.”

            An idea pops into his head. A foul idea.

            “Alright, troops, change of plans!” he calls to his army. “We have a new target. We strike at dawn!”

            The demons cheer while Satan grins his blood curdling grin.


	34. Fanatics 22.5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Battalion vs Hell's Army: Final Round.

The Hideous Underworlders Part Five

 

            Everyone sleeps restlessly that night, if at all. Devi and Tenna spend the night in Johnny’s living room; Devi has the couch and Tenna takes the floor. But they only manage to sleep about two hours at a time. Squee can’t even hope to fall sleep and Johnny doesn’t even consider it. They spend the night in Nny’s room, so as not to disturb the girls, sitting in comfortable silence.

            Meanwhile, Zim, Dib, Gaz, and Pepito spend the night in Zim’s lab. Pepito, Dib, and Gaz try to sleep but it’s fitful while Zim stays up on his computer, watching the city through multiple security cameras he’s either hacked into or set up himself. So far he sees no sign of Satan. Needless to say, it wasn’t the slumber party Gir was hoping for.

            Everyone gets up early in the morning. Zim, Dib, Gaz and Pepito remain in the lab to discuss a plan. Skoodge and Gir quickly exit the elevator, carrying plates of waffles.

            “Breakfast!” Gir sings.

            “Aw, Gir, you’re a sweetheart,” Pepito coos as he takes a plate.

            “You don’t have to live with him,” Zim says drily, “anyway, I didn’t see Satan on any camera feeds so he was probably just laying low for the night. Our job now is to figure out where he’s gonna go next and head him off.”

            “What if he comes after us?” Dib asks.

            “That’d be the best option, cause we’ll be ready for it,” he replies.

            “What if he goes after Squee?” Pepito questions fearfully.

            “While not ideal, it would still be better than any other alternative. Squee’s safest at home than anywhere else.”

            “Maybe he’ll try attacking the Skool,” Dib suggests.

            “That’s dumb. He wouldn’t do that,” Gaz argues.

            “Well, where do you think he’ll attack?”

            “Somewhere that’ll actually have an impact in Pepito’s life.”

            They argue with each other while Pepito and Zim watch and eat. But after a minute, Pepito suddenly stops and stares at his plate, miserably.

            “I’m really sorry, guys,” he sighs.

            Everyone stops and stares at him.

            “This is my fault. He’s doing this because of me,” he points out, “maybe it’d be better if I just…gave myself up.”

            “Don’t be stupid,” Zim scoffs, “you’re my second-in-command, remember? You can’t just leave.”

            “He’s right,” Dib nods, “like Squee said, this isn’t your fault.”

            Pepito smiles gratefully.

            “Alright, now back to the pla-.” Zim is suddenly cut off by rock music playing from Pepito’s pants.

            “Sorry, that’s my phone,” Pepito says as he takes it out. “Oh, it’s my mom. Just a sec.”

            He answers the call. “Hello?”

            The voice that replies is not the sweet tone that belongs to Rose. “Good morning, son.”

            Pepito blanches. His whole body turns cold and limp.

            “Pepito, what’s wrong?” Zim asks.

            Pepito hangs up and rubs his horns. “I know where Satan is.”

            In an instant, the kids and minions are outside and in Dib’s car. He starts it and they speed away, to Pepito’s house.

            Meanwhile, Squee is sitting in the living room at home, with Nugget and Shmee in his lap. Devi and Tenna are sitting next to him and Johnny is in the kitchen, making something to drink.

            “I’m back,” Colton sings as he walks through the front door with an armful of books. “I went to the library and found all the books that had to do with Satan or the Devil, short of a bible.”

            “Awesome. Thanks, Colton,” Squee says. He rests the books on the coffee table and Squee immediately begins flipping through one.

            Freddy suddenly phases through the ceiling and floats next to Squee. “Hi, Squee.”

            “Hey, Freddy,” Squee says.

            “Freddy’s here too?” Colton questions, “wow, we got a whole crew going!”

            “So explain to me again just what you want to accomplish,” Devi demands.

            “I don’t think Zim and the others can stop Satan with just violence,” Squee explains, “even if they do destroy the rest of his army, he’ll just come back with more. And killing him would be a bad idea.”

            “Can you kill Satan?” Tenna asks.

            “I’ve actually wondered that myself,” Johnny says as he walks in.

            “It’s irrelevant,” Squee states, “even if you can kill him, his death would bring more bad than good.”

            “That’s true. He is like the ruler of the underworld or something,” Devi nods.

            “So I want to figure out a way to stop him without violence,” Squee concludes.

            “Is there such a way?” Johnny asks.

            “Figuring that out is why I sent Colton to the library,” he replies.

            “Squee, you know I’m all for your pacifistic views,” Devi says, “but do you really think they’ll work in this situation?”

            “It’s not pacifism,” Squee argues, “it’s strategy.”

            “Well, I think it’s a good idea,” Johnny says as he grabs a book and sits down.

            “Me too,” Colton agrees and does the same.

            The girls shrug and follow suit.

            The group gets a little study session going. They read silently, looking for anything they can use against Satan. Unfortunately, after about an hour, they don’t find much.

            “These books have nothing but useless, religious rumours,” Johnny growls as he tosses his second book away.

            “What if we get a bunch of holy water and just throw it at him?” Tenna suggests.

            “That could slow him down but it could also make him angry,” Squee points out.

            “Hey, here’s something,” Devi says, “there’s a legend or something that Satan can’t enter or exit round areas. What if we trap him?”

            “That could work. But what about long term?” Colton questions.

            “We could bargain with him,” she suggests, “you know, something like, ‘we’ll let you out if you agree to go back to Hell’.”

            “You don’t bargain with Satan,” Johnny argues, “not unless you’re willing to give him your soul.”

            “That could actually work,” Squee mutters.

            Everyone looks at him with surprise.

            “This says that if summoned with a pentagram, Satan must make a deal with the person who summoned him. Afterwards, he’s sent straight back to Hell,” he explains, “what if we summon him and make a deal?”  
            “But he’s already on Earth,” Freddy points out, “can we summon him if he’s already here?”

            “We lure him to the pentagram and trap him with a circle, like Devi said,” Squee replies. He immediately deflates and shakes his head. “No, it’s a bad idea. Satan only accepts souls as payment. In order for it to work, someone would have to sacrifice themselves.”

            “Well, what if we just give him a really bad soul?” Devi suggests, “what do you say, Nny? Take one for the team?”

            “For that antichrist bastard? No way,” Johnny scoffs, “although that ‘bad soul’ thing isn’t a bad idea. Maybe there’s a soul somewhere that Satan has no use for but he has no choice but to accept it if he doesn’t want to be trapped forever.”

            Everyone considers it for a second, but nobody can come up with anything.

            “What about a dead soul?” Freddy suggests.

            “What? No way, Freddy! You can’t sacrifice yourself,” Squee exclaims.

            “What, the ghost boy wants to sell his soul?” Johnny questions, “that could work. He is dead.”

            “Do ghosts even have souls?” Tenna questions.

            “Aren’t ghosts souls themselves?” Devi questions.

            “It doesn’t matter,” Squee snaps.

            “Come on, Squee,” Freddy smiles reassuringly, “this is the first time I can actually be of some use to somebody. And you guys saved my home. This is the least I can do in return.”

            “You know, Squee,” Shmee says, “if the ghost wants to do this, you don’t really have a right to stop him.”

            Squee sighs, defeated, then nods. “Alright. Here’s what we’re going to do.”

            Squee details the plan to everyone. As soon as he’s done, they take off to do their part.

            Johnny leaves the house and crosses the street to see his neighbor, Amanda. They do their ritual glare of hatred before Johnny asks to borrow some sidewalk chalk. Emily is all too happy to lend him some. He takes the purple one.

            Meanwhile, Squee remains in the house and calls Zim on the phone. He answers after a couple rings.

            “What?” he questions sternly.

            “Zim. Where are you right now?” he asks.

            “Pepito’s house. Things are about to get messy so make it quick,” he orders.

            “I have a plan. I need you to lure Satan to Grave Road,” Squee explains quickly.

            “What? Why?”

            “There’s no time to explain. Can you do it?”

            Zim is silent for a minute. “Yeah, alright. Give me about half an hour.”

            “Good,” Squee smiles and hangs up. “Okay, now we wait.”

            Meanwhile, Zim, Dib, Gaz, Pepito, Gir, Minimoose, and Skoodge arrive at Pepito’s house. They jump out of the car and race through the front door.

            The house is full of demons. They giggle excitedly as they stare at the kids. Straight ahead of them, in the midst of the army, Satan is smirking at them as he holds Rose in a violent grip.

            “Mom!” Pepito exclaims.

            “Don’t worry, Honey. I’m okay,” she says reassuringly, but her voice is shaking a bit.

            “What’s your plan, Satan?” Zim snaps.

            “I was a fool before,” Satan sighs, “I initially thought that it was your fault my son was so messed up. I thought you were good influences in a bad way. But then I realized it was her fault.” He tugs on Rose. “She had been a bad influence on him since he was small. Filling his head with dreams and hopes. Such human things.”

            “It wasn’t her fault! It wasn’t anyone’s fault!” Pepito exclaims, “this is who I am!”

            “You are the Antichrist!” Satan barks, “and you will live as the Antichrist. You will return to Hell with me where you will learn to control your dark powers. Or I will kill her right here.”

            The kids and demons growl at each other. They lift their weapons and prepare to battle.

            Zim’s PAK suddenly starts vibrating and his cell phone flies out. “One second!” he shouts. Everyone stops and quiets down as he turns away and answers the phone.

            “What?”

            He has his conversation with Squee. Once he’s done he hangs up and considers his next move.

            “Gotta lure Satan to Grave Road,” he mumbles, “in order to do this we’re going to need complete pandemonium.”

          He smirks and spins on his heel, pointing dramatically at the demons. “Minimoose, barrage!”

            Minimoose opens his mouth and begins firing all over at the demons. They jump out of the way to dodge.

            “Dib! You too! Fire!” Zim orders.

            Dib looks around uncertainly before spraying holy water everywhere. The demons scramble around to avoid getting hit.

            “Zim? What are you doing?” Pepito exclaims.

            Zim ignores him. “Gir! Grab the hyuman female!”

            “G-Gently!” Pepito adds quickly.

            Gir flies through the demon mayhem towards Satan and Rose. Satan is thrown off by all the confusion as first but notices Gir quickly. He grips Rose and holds her tight.

            Zim grabs a laser gun from his PAK. He aims and fires. The lasers flies past the demons, past Gir, and right into Satan’s chest. He gasps in pain and lets go of Rose. Gir grabs her by her waist and lifts her above his head like she’s just a bundle of laundry.

            “Take her to the base!” Zim orders.

            “Oh my,” Rose exclaims as Gir flies through one of the many growing holes in the house and disappears into the distance.

            “You wanna cause destruction and mayhem, Satan!” Zim barks, “Zim is the master of destruction and mayhem! You better recognize!”

            Satan snarls at him as he rubs his laser wound. “You test my patience, alien. You know not the powers you toy with.”

            “Then show me,” Zim challenges.

            “Zim, what are you doing?” Pepito whispers harshly.

            “Are you trying to get yourself killed?” Dib adds.

            “On my mark, we split. Keep the demons busy while I handle Satan,” Zim orders.  

            “What?” they exclaim.

            “Ready.” He picks up Skoodge. “Set.” He pulls his arm back. “Now!”

            Skoodge screams as Zim whips him through the demon army. He squeaks like a chew toy as he bounces off Satan’s face.

            Satan’s anger erupts like a volcano. He shouts as he fires a black beam at Zim from his hand.

            “Move move move!” Zim exclaims. Everybody jumps out of the way to dodge it. “Follow the plan!”

            Dib and Pepito groan uncertainly but do as they say anyway. Minimoose and Dib continue firing and Gaz and Pepito start swinging.

            Satan doesn’t notice them. He’s seeing red and green, the green being Zim. He fires another blast. Zim dodges this one.

            “Come on, Satan! Is that the best you got?” he taunts.

            Satan snarls and charges him. Zim’s spider legs come out and pick him up, dodging Satan’s tackle. They carry him outside and he races down the road. Satan follows close behind, fire propelling him forward as he floats off the ground.

            “Where’s Zim going?” Dib asks.

            “Come on!” Pepito orders.

            The kids race after them, followed by the angry demons.

           

            The Grave Road residents watch as Johnny draws something on the road. Squee, Colton, Freddy, and Nugget sit on the curb. Devi and Tenna stand nearby. Amanda and Mia are rather annoyed at him for messing up the road with chalk, but he ignores them.

            He draws a large pentagram in the middle of the road. Once he’s done, he surrounds it with an incomplete circle.

            “There, all done,” Johnny declares.

            “Looks good,” Squee comments.

            There’s a loud bang somewhere in the distance. Everybody spins around and looks. Farther down the road, two silhouettes are getting closer. One is red and fiery.

            “They’re coming,” Johnny growls, “alright, everyone get inside now!”

            Everybody scrambles into their houses. Colton follows Squee into his. Devi, Tenna, and Nugget stand next to Johnny in front of the pentagram while Freddy takes his place inside of it.

            Squee and Colton duck down and peek through a front window.

            “Oh, this isn’t going to work,” Squee whimpers, “so many things can go wrong. This was such a bad idea.”

            “Calm down, bro. Just wait and see,” Colton says reassuringly.

            Zim arrives on Grave Road, Satan close behind, followed by the kids and the demons.

            Zim quickly spots Johnny, Devi, Tenna, and Nugget standing at the ready. He’s not really sure what’s going on, but he gets the general idea.

            His spider legs propel him off the road and onto the grass. Satan aims to follow him but before he can, Johnny, Devi, and Tenna grab him. He looks at them with surprise and readies to attack them, but he’s quickly interrupted by a feisty cat jumping onto his head and digging her claws through his skin.

            He groans with pain as Johnny him over his shoulder and into the pentagram.

            He sits up and tries to charge them, but runs into an invisible barrier. He looks around with surprise.

            Johnny smirks at him as he finishes the circle.

            “Alright, nobody move!” Tenna barks a she and Devi point their guns at the demons. They all freeze and look around with confusion while Dib, Pepito, Gaz, Skoodge, and Minimoose dive out of the way.

            “A pentagram?” Satan questions, “you wanna make a deal with me?”

            “Not me,” Johnny replies.

            “Me,” Freddy states.

            Satan looks at him and scoffs. “A ghost. I have no use for a dead soul.”

            “Too bad for you,” Johnny shrugs, “because unless you decide to accept his deal, you will be trapped here forever. I will make sure this circle remains whole for eternity. Trust me; I can be very obsessive.”

            Satan glares at him before looking at Freddy. “What’s the deal?”

            “You agree to leave us all alone. You do not interfere in Pepito’s life anymore or attack his friends and loved ones for any reason,” Freddy replies.

            Satan growls. “This plain reeks of foul tricks. It certainly wasn’t your idea.” He glances at Johnny. “Was it yours?”

            “Wasn’t mine,” Johnny shrugs.

            He glances at the C house. Squee and Colton immediately duck out of sight.

            “I don’t get it. What’s going on?” Dib asks quietly.

          “Freddy is making a deal with Satan,” Pepito replies, “if he leaves us alone, he’ll get his soul.”

            “A dead soul?” Zim questions, “what does that mean?”

            A smile starts creeping onto Pepito’s face. “It means Satan’s screwed.”

            “I don’t have much of a choice here,” Satan sighs, “either way I don’t get what I want. I suppose the better option would be to accept.”

            Freddy smiles and sticks out his hand.

            “But remember this, children!” he exclaims and turns to look at everyone. “Some of your closest allies possess powers even worse than mine. And with those powers they bring grave dangers. And I’m not just talking about Pepito.”

            He takes Freddy’s hand. There’s a bright flash as Satan and his demons disappear into smoke. Everybody covers their eyes so they don’t get blinded.

            The flash disappears, as does the pentagram. However, Freddy remains. He looks around nervously before smiling victoriously.

            “He’s gone,” Pepito observes.

            “We won!” Zim cheers.

            The kids jump around, cheering excitedly. Squee lies down on the floor and sighs with relief. Colton smiles and scrambles outside to join the others. Squee stands up and steps outside.

            Zim and the others congratulate and coddle each other. Squee watches, smiling. But it slowly disappears as he stares at the ground, forlorn.

            “Squee,” Johnny says as he walks up to him. “What’s wrong?”

            “Nothing,” he insists, forcing a smile. “I’m happy. We won!”

            He claps and runs up to the others. Pepito hugs him and spins around happily. They compliment him on a job well done. He celebrates with him.

            But Johnny knows something’s wrong. He watches him suspiciously.

 

            The kids stare at Pepito’s house. Or more specifically, the remains of Pepito’s house. The ceiling must’ve given out while they were gone. It’s a total mess.

            “Alright, admittedly, we may have gone a bit overboard,” Zim shrugs.

            “You. You went overboard,” Pepito snaps.

            “Alright, alright. Fine,” he growls, “but don’t worry. Gir, Skoodge, and I will salvage what we can. In the meantime, until you and your mom are able to find a new house to live in, um…I guess…you can…you know…stay at the base…”

            “You’re inviting us to live with you?” Pepito questions with bewilderment.

            “Temporarily!” Zim snaps.

            “That’s what Johnny said when we first started living together,” Squee smiles.

            Everyone laughs except for Zim. He just growls and holds out his hand. A communicator jumps out of his PAK and he catches it.

            “Gir!” he snaps. After a few seconds, Gir flies up to him and salutes. “How is the hyuman?”

            “She was watching The Scary Monkey Show with me,” he replies.

            “Good,” Zim nods, “Dib, take everyone home. I’ll leave later. You all get some rest.”

            “Thanks for everything, Zim,” Pepito smiles, “you guys too. Thanks a lot.”

            “Sure, sure. Now go,” Zim orders and waves them away as he walks up to the house’s ruins.

           Everyone smiles at each other as they get into Dib’s car. He drives them home while Zim, Gir, and Skoodge start digging through the rubble.

            Zim can’t help the giant smile that spreads across his face as he works. It’s been a hard two days, physically, emotionally, and mentally. But they made it through. And they won! His Battalion truly is the best in the universe.


	35. Fanatics 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nny teaches Squee something new.

Teacher Nny

 

            Winter has hit and as per usual in the Nameless City, it’s hit hard. It’s been snowing nonstop for the past two days. Schools all over the city have been closed until the roads can be plowed. But the only ones complaining are the parents.

            Dib has spent his days off working on his shock therapy device. Gaz has been online gaming with Maddie.

            Zim and Pepito have had a good time living together. Although Zim would never admit it, he actually likes having him and his mom around. Rose is a great caretaker and she was barely fazed when Pepito told her that Zim and Skoodge are aliens and Gir’s a robot.

            Pepito’s fun to have around too. He and Zim have been working on some cool projects. And he’s even introduced the sceptical Irken to some surprisingly great Earth music.

            Squee’s the only one who hasn’t been having a great couple days.

            Ever since their battle with Satan and his Hell army, he’s been rife with guilt fueled by his insecurities. No matter how he looks at it, he’s convinced he was no help during the whole fiasco. So he’s set out to change his ways.

            When he was being attacked by Cerberus, Squee accidently acquired one of his smaller fangs. He has attached this fang to the broken handle of a plastic toy sword with some duct tape, making a knife. And for the last couple days he’s been practicing knife fighting secretly in his bedroom. The only ones who know about it are Freddy, Shmee, and Nugget. Nugget doesn’t really care, Freddy is supportive, and Shmee is worried.

            “I really don’t know about this, Squee,” Shmee says for the hundredth time that day.

            “I know, Shmee,” Squee replies as he blindly swings his knife. He’s not really sure how to practice knife fighting, so he’s just been swinging it around.

            “You hate fighting,” he points out, “why learn how to do it?”    

            “Like Freddy said, it’s better to know it and not need it than to need it and not know it,” Squee states, “right, Freddy?”

            “Exactly,” the ghost boy nods.

            Shmee groans. “Well, you should at least tell Johnny.”

            Squee freezes and stares at the floor. “I-I will. Eventually.”

            “Why are you putting it off?” he asks.

            “I don’t know. It’s just…hard to bring up, you know?”

            “You can’t hide it forever,” Shmee points out, “besides, if you really want to learn knife fighting, he’s the best one to teach you.”

            “Yeah,” Squee sighs.

            The walkie-talkie sitting on his nightstand suddenly sounds feedback as Johnny’s voice rings through. “Hey, Squee. I’m on my way up.”

            Squee quickly grabs it. “O-okay.”

            He hides his knife under his pillow, grabs Shmee, and rushes out of the room. He sits on the couch and turns on the TV, attempting to look innocent. Nugget trudges after him, hops up beside him, and immediately goes back to sleep.

            “I’ll see you later, Squee,” Freddy waves as he hovers away.

            “See you, Freddy,” Squee says.

            Johnny walks through the basement door. “Hey, Squee,” he grunts.

            “Hi, Nny,” Squee replies.

            “What have you been up to?” he asks as he heads to the kitchen.

            “Oh, you know, just watching TV.”

            Johnny stops and stares at him. He’s lying. But about what? And why?

            Actually, Squee’s been acting weird for the last few days. He’s hiding something. And that’s really odd because he’s never hidden something from Johnny before, at least not for this long.

            “How are your friends doing?” Nny asks as he opens the fridge.

            “They’re good, I think,” Squee replies, visibly relaxing at the change in subject. “We haven’t been talking much since the blizzard started. Pepito’s the only one who remains in constant contact. He and Zim seem to be getting along well as roommates.”

            “That’s good,” he comments apathetically. He doesn’t really care. “And your injuries? How are they?”

            “Great. My burns are all healed and my shoulder wound is almost healed too,” Squee explains excitedly, “there aren’t even any scars.”

            “That’s really good,” Johnny comments sincerely. He does care about that.

            While it may seem like Johnny was just asking random questions, he was actually probing. He was hoping to figure out what Squee might be hiding by bringing up topics he’s familiar with. But if it’s not about his friends or his injuries than what could it be?

            Johnny grabs a bottle of Fiz Wiz, opens it, and takes a big sip. What bothers a teenage boy? As his guardian, what should he do in this situation?

            He really has no idea.

 

            “Something’s been bothering Squee lately,” Johnny explains, “normally when something’s bugging him, he’ll hang around me until he’s ready to talk about it. But this time he almost seems to be avoiding me. He’s never hidden anything from me before. So this is kind of annoying me. And the fact that it’s annoying me just annoys me even more.”

            “So what should I do, as his guardian? Should I respect his privacy and let him work through whatever is bothering him? Or should I figure it out on my own in order to help him? Because I could. I have my ways. But if I do that, would he be mad? I don’t want that. But I really wanna know what’s wrong with him. And he’s obviously struggling with it.”

            “What do you think I should do?” He turns and looks at the half-naked man strapped to an upright board with all kinds of sharp objects poking into his skin.

            The man looks at him with eyes filled with fear and confusion.

            “You are no help,” Johnny snarls, “fine, I’ll figure it out myself.”

            He pulls a lever in the wall and the sharp objects continuously jab into the man.

 

            Johnny exits through the basement door, glaring at the floor with frustration. He suddenly perks up when he hears clambering from Squee’s room.

            Squee suddenly bursts through the door and smiles innocently.

            “What were you doing?” Johnny asks.

            “Nothing,” Squee replies quickly, “just…looking at…stuff.”

            He looks at the floor and speed walks away. Johnny watches him with confusion.

            “So uh what do you want for dinner?” Squee asks as he looks around the kitchen. “We can’t order anything cause no one will deliver so we’ll have to make do with whatever we have here.”

            Johnny doesn’t reply. He just stands in the doorway and stares at him.

            “We don’t have much to eat since we can’t go shopping,” Squee rambles, “I suppose cereal will do. Or wait I think we might have canned soup.”

            “Squee,” Johnny says, “do you…wanna talk about something?”

            Squee looks at him, obviously surprised by the request. At first it looks like he’s about to say no, but his emotions overflow before he gets the chance. His face fills with guilt and distress and tears start pooling in his eyes.

            Johnny sticks out his arm. Squee quickly runs into him, burying his face into his stomach. They hug until Squee calms down enough to talk.

            A few minutes later they’re sitting on the couch, Shmee and Nugget resting on the arms, watching them. Squee is staring awkwardly at his hands while Johnny examines his knife.

            “I hate to say it but this is just shoddy workmanship,” Johnny comments, “you wouldn’t be able to cut someone with this without it falling apart.”

            “Well I had…limited materials,” Squee mumbles.

            Johnny rests it on the coffee table and leans back. “So why did you make it?”

            Squee doesn’t answer right away. He just continues to stare at his hands. Johnny waits patiently.

            “Nny,” Squee mutters, “do you think I’m…a liability?”

            “What? No, fuck,” Johnny replies, shocked. “Why would you ask that?”

            Again, he doesn’t answer right away.

            “A while back, when Zim, the others, and I were helping Freddy by dealing with the poltergeist in his graveyard,” Squee explains, “everyone fought so hard. They were so strong and brave and really looked out for each other. And I was just cowering like a loser. I wasn’t any help. I even got possessed.”

            “Squee, you’re not a loser,” Johnny insists, “you’re the one who came up with the idea to trap Satan into making a deal.”

            “Only because I was too hurt to actually fight,” Squee points out.

            “Because you blew up Cerberus.”

            “Because he ate me.”

            “Eh,” Johnny groans with defeat.

            Squee sighs. “I’m sorry. I know this really dumb.”

            “It’s not dumb,” Johnny says sternly, “if it’s what you’ve been worrying about, then it’s not dumb.”

            Squee looks at him. He reaches up and gently pushes his bangs out of the way, revealing the two bullet wound scars on his forehead. But Squee focuses on the one right in the middle; the one Zoli made three years ago.

            Squee pulls away and looks down at his lap. Johnny watches him curiously.

            “You know, that moment is still fresh in my mind,” Squee says quietly, “I didn’t see it. Shmee covered my eyes. But I heard it. I heard the gun fire. It was so loud. And I heard your…” He gulps. “Body hit the floor. And when I pushed Shmee out of the way, I saw you lying there, in a puddle of your own blood. I remember it all so clearly.”

            “I wasn’t any help then either. I couldn’t do anything to save you. You almost died right in front of me and I couldn’t do anything.”

            “I don’t want anything like that to ever happen again,” Squee explains, “I don’t want to be protected. I want to do the protecting. This is the first time in my life I’ve actually had friends and true family. I want to keep them safe. Even if it means doing things I really don’t wanna do.”

            “I really hate fighting. But there are lots of enemies who don’t and against them there is no choice but to fight. That’s why I wanna learn how to fight with knives, so I can actually stand a chance against them. Bombs are a good fail-safe and defense but knives would be more effective when battling things like Satan or Zoli. That’s why I need to learn.”

            Johnny stares at Squee with surprise. Squee doesn’t look back at him.

            He picks up the knife off the coffee table and hands it to him. Squee looks at him with surprise as he takes it.

            “You’re not a fighter, Squee,” Johnny states, “you just don’t have what it takes to hurt someone. I know because you’re nothing like me. But if you’re using violence for the sole purpose of protecting, then…I don’t know. Maybe you’ll be a decent knife fighter.”

            Squee smiles at him.

            “I’ll teach you to fight,” Johnny says, “I’ll tell you everything I know. But not with this.” He suddenly takes Squee’s knife away. “First I’ll have to make this into a decent weapon.”

            “You can do that?” Squee questions.

            “Sure. Just need some supplies, maybe a bit of welding,” Johnny shrugs, “in the meantime, you can begin your first lesson.”

            “What’s that?” Squee asks as they stand up.

            “Before you can actually fight, you gotta become ambidextrous,” he replies.

            “Why?”

            “Two knives are better than one.”

            “I guess I can’t argue with that,” Squee shrugs, “so how do I become ambidextrous?”

            “Just learn to do things with your left hand,” Johnny replies, “you can start by repeatedly writing your name until you can do that just as well with your left hand as you can with your right.”

            “Is that how you learned?” Squee asks.

            “Hm,” he muses and rubs his head. “I don’t remember. Anyway, I’ll be downstairs. If you master writing your name before I’m back then just write the alphabet a couple times.”

            Johnny disappears through the basement door. Squee grabs a notebook and a pen and sits at the kitchen table with Shmee. He starts writing his name with his left hand. It’s really weird and awkward at first. He’s not even sure how to hold the pen. But he’s a fast learner. He’ll get it down eventually.

           

            Johnny swings the new and improved fang knife around a couple times. He tosses it in the air then whips it at the wall. It slides in like butter, right up to the handle. Johnny tears it out and examines it. No damage to the knife or handle. Perfect.

            He grunts approvingly and heads back upstairs. Squee is still sitting at the kitchen table. He hasn’t moved at all, except to get a drink. Over the last few hours, he’s just been learning to write with his left hand. He’s gotten good. He’s mastered writing his name and most of the alphabet. His penmanship isn’t as good as it is with his right hand, but it’s still pretty great.

            “How’s it going?” Johnny asks.

            “Great,” Squee replies proudly, “what’s the next lesson?”

            Johnny collapses in a chair. “I don’t know. To be honest I don’t really know how to teach fighting. In my opinion it’s more like learning on the job. At least with knives.”

            “Learning on the job?” Squee questions.

            “Yeah. And you’re quick and agile, instinctual and a fast learner. You can handle it,” Johnny says reassuringly, “but there is one important thing we have to do first.”

            “What’s that?” he asks.

            Johnny hands the new knife to Squee. He takes it and examines it with awe. “It looks so cool! Way better than before.”

            “I’m glad you like it,” Johnny says and rests his hand palm up on the table. “Now I want you to cut me with it.”  
            “What?” Squee exclaims with surprise.

            “Cut me. Right on my hand,” he clarifies.

            “But why?”

            “You have to understand how it feels or who knows how you’ll react when you actually do cut someone,” Johnny explains, “and if you can cut me then cutting anyone else will be a breeze.”

            Squee kneads the knife’s handle and stares uncertainly at his hand.

            “Don’t worry. It won’t hurt. I probably won’t even feel it,” Johnny insists, “just give me a little slice, just enough to draw blood.”

            Squee groans worriedly but presses the tip of the blade to Johnny’s palm. He pulls and cuts the skin. It’s barely a scratch and just causes a bit of blood to bead up. But Squee whimpers and immediately pulls away.

            Johnny watches him closely. “How do you feel?”

            “Really, really bad,” Squee replies.

            “That’s good,” Johnny says as he stands up.

            “It is?”

            “Yes,” he states as he washes his hand in the sink. “It’s not a good thing to cut people and not feel anything. Granted it’s pretty much a given for you to feel guilty about cutting me, whether I told you to or not. But I for one hope you feel the same way when it comes to anyone.”

            “I probably will,” Squee mutters and stares at the knife.

            “That’s a good thing,” Johnny says as he dries his hands. “It means you’re better than me. You should be proud of that. I know I am.”

            Squee looks at him and smiles. Johnny pats his head and sits back down.

            “So if I’m learning to be ambidextrous, then what will I use as a second knife?” Squee asks.

            “You can use this one,” Johnny replies as he reaches into his sweater pocket and pulls out a knife with an apathetic smiley face on the round guard- one of his main knives.

            “Wait, but isn’t this one part of a pair?” Squee asks, “you use those two all the time. Aren’t they like your favourite?”

            Johnny shrugs. “Then you’re a worthy successor.”

            Squee beams as he takes the blade. He holds both knives in his hands and smiles ecstatically. He almost feels kind of tough and cool with them. Maybe this way he can actually keep everyone safe.

            It might just be wishful thinking but it gives Squee the hope and confidence he’s been missing the last two days. And he’s finally able to enjoy the next few snow days.


	36. Fanatics 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A young Johnny gets a job.

Fragments of a Past Reality: Johnny Gets a Job

 

            A lost but relatively okay Johnny walked through the streets of the South End in the Nameless City. He hadn’t eaten in nearly a week, hadn’t slept in nearly two, killing left and right, and he was missing large amounts of his long term memory. But all in all, he was pretty good.

            After staying with the one person who could tolerate him since his mom, Johnny left to return to his hometown. He hasn’t done anything since his return, just been living on the streets and killing anyone who looked at him wrong. It has been far from a charming life. He has considered getting a job and actually living a proper life. He just hasn’t gotten around to it.

            The streets were starting to empty as it got darker and for good reason. In the South End, the things that go bump in the night bump harder. But Johnny wasn’t worried. He was one of the things that go bump in the night.

            He walked aimlessly, absolutely no destination in mind. That night seemed to be as uneventful as any previous night until he round a corner and saw two large men dressed in suits that did no suit them.

            They glared at Johnny. He glanced back and forth between them before scowling. He started to reach for his knife when one of them spoke.

            “Our boss wants to talk to you,” he said.

            “Eh?” Johnny grunted, freezing. This is the first time in months somebody’s tried talking to him.

            “He has a proposition,” the other added.

            Johnny lowered his hand. He was so taken aback all he could say was, “k.”

            The men led him to a very nice, swanky car. He sat in the back with two other large, nicely dressed men while the first two got in the front.    

            It was quiet, hour long drive. There wasn’t even any music playing.

            They eventually arrived at their mysterious destination. Johnny was ushered into a large, fancy building between the four large men. He managed to get a look at the sign out front before entering through the automatic doors: “Mussolini Head Offices.”

            Johnny cocked his head curiously. Mussolini was the name of the richest and most powerful man in the city. He owned the biggest bank franchise and, rumours had it, ruled the crime syndicate. What did he want with Johnny?

            The men led him into the elevator which they rode all the way to the top. They walked down a long, carpeted hallway to large double doors. One of the men knocked.

            “Enter,” a voice called.

            They entered a large, rectangular office. It had a huge window with a view of the whole city and in the center was a long table. Sitting at it was a middle-aged man blonde man dressed in a suit.

            “We brought the one wanted,” one man said.

            “Are you sure he’s the one?” the blonde man asked.

            “He matches all the sources,” another man replied.

            The blonde man eyed Johnny. He glared right back.

            “Welcome,” he announced, “I am Celio Mussolini, President of Mussolini Banks. And you are?”

            “Johnny C,” Johnny replied.

            “Please, take a seat, Mr. C,” Mussolini offered, “I have something I would like to discuss with you.”

            Johnny sat in the chair opposite him. The four men stood by him, watching him closely.

            “Would you like something to drink? Some water perhaps?” Mussolini asked.

            “Erm, sure,” Johnny replied.

            Mussolini wove his hand and one of the men backed off to the other side of the room which held a minibar. He quickly returned with a glass of water which he placed in front of Johnny. He grabbed it and hesitantly took a drink. He was surprisingly dehydrated. He quickly guzzled it.

            Mussolini wove his hand again and the man topped him off. Johnny drank this one slowly and stared at Mussolini.

            “So, Mr. C,” he said.

            “Uh just Johnny is fine,” Johnny said quickly.

            “Very well, Johnny,” Mussolini nodded, “you must be wondering why I summoned you here. Tell me, do you know Lawrence and Gilbert?”

            Johnny shook his head.

            “They used to work under me. They were some of my top men. Until you killed them, Johnny.”

            Johnny raised an eyebrow.

            Mussolini produced two photographs. He threw them across the table. They landed perfectly right in front of Johnny. They were of two men’s faces, both beaten and bloody. Johnny recognized them immediately. He had killed them about a month ago. He couldn’t remember why.

            “Lawrence and Gilbert weren’t just ‘employees’ of mine,” Mussolini explained, “they were top officials in my underground syndicate. They were loyal, diligent, and irreplaceable. Normally I would have a killer of my men scalped and burned. However, it had never taken this long to find someone I was looking for. There were no signs of their killer’s DNA on their bodies. You had covered your tracks well.”

            “Clearly not well enough,” Johnny grunted.

            “That’s not your fault. I pretty much own this whole city,” he shrugged, “no one can hide from me here.”

            “So what now? You gonna get revenge?” he asked.

            “No, no. Quite the opposite,” Mussolini replied, “I wish to hire you.”

            “What?” Johnny exclaimed.

            “I’ve seen your- shall we say- work. It’s very masterful if slightly messy. You’re a very good assassin so I want to hire you as one; my personal hitman.”

            “Hitman?”

            “Yes. You see, there are times when I give loans to people, not from my bank but through my loan sharks, on the down low. And sometimes these loans are not repaid,” Mussolini explains, “now I like to think I’m a kind man so I give people three chances. The first chance is a phone call, the second chance is a man at their door, the third chance is a gun to their head. If they have not repaid by their third chance, they die.”

            “Shouldn’t you wait until after the third chance before killing them?” Johnny questions.

            “Do not question my tactics,” Mussolini growls.

            Johnny shrugs. “Whatever. So you want me to be the one to kill them?”

            “Exactly,” he nods, “what do you say?”

            Johnny tapped his fingers together. “What do I get out of it?”

            “A paying job.”

            “I want a house.”

            “What?” Mussolini exclaimed.

            “And a car,” Johnny added, “and my own cache of weapons, all knives no guns.”

            “I see,” Mussolini chuckled, “you’re a man who knows what he wants. I respect that. Very well. If you accept the job, then I will get you a car and a…apartment, not a house. And all the knives you could dream of.”

            “Fine,” Johnny nodded, “I’ll take the job.”

            “Excellent,” Mussolini smirked, “be here tomorrow morning and we’ll smooth out the details. Until then, you’re dismissed.”

            Johnny stood and followed the four men out of the office and back down the first floor. They offered to drive him somewhere but he declined. He decided to walk.

            The next morning he returned back to Mussolini Head Offices. He walked through the front doors. The lobby was bustling now, full of well-dressed working people. Johnny scratched his cheek and looked around uncertainly before walking up the lady at the front desk.

            “Can I help you?” she asked.

            “Um I need to see Mussolini,” he replied uncertainly.

            “Just a second,” she said. She picked up the receiver of a phone and spoke quietly before hanging up. “Go right on up. He’s waiting for you.”

            “Oh okay. Uh thank you,” he nodded before scurrying to the elevator. Unfortunately it wasn’t empty and he was forced to share it with a bunch of fancy office workers who gave him weird looks. He felt very uncomfortable and out of place. It took all of his will not to slaughter them every one of them.

            He eventually made it to the top floor and he hurried to Mussolini’s office. He knocked and entered.

            Mussolini was sitting at the same spot at the table, like he hadn’t moved all night. But there were two new people here now. One was a tall, brown haired young man in regular, street clothes and the other was a young Japanese girl in a kimono.

            “Ah, Johnny. Glad you came,” Mussolini said, “I would like you to meet Carson Larm and Suzuki Kyo, your partners.”

            “Partners?” Johnny exclaimed, “we didn’t agree on any partners!”

            “You’re the one who wanted an apartment,” Mussolini shrugged.

            “They’re my roommates?!” Johnny shouted angrily.

            “Ah, it’s okay,” Carson said quickly, “Suzu and I have done hitman jobs for Mr. Mussolini lots of times. We’re gonna show you the ropes.”

            “I know how to kill,” Johnny snarled.

            “No, I didn’t mean it like that,” he squealed and shook his hands. Suzuki just stood there, quietly and politely.”

            “You will be living and working with Carson and Suzuki,” Mussolini stated, “end of story.”

            Johnny growled. “Fine.”

            “Good. Meeting adjourned,” he waved, “I’ll call you when I have your first job.”

            Johnny left with Carson and Suzuki. He followed them quietly to their car, examining them. Carson seemed like a spineless coward but he couldn’t get a read on Suzuki. She was just so stoical.

            “So we share an apartment and a job,” Johnny said, “do we share the car too?”

            “I’m afraid so,” Carson replied.

            “Fuck,” he sighed, “I certainly got the raw end of this deal.”

            “Yeah, it’s not a good idea to make deals with Mr. Mussolini,” he stated.

            Johnny scoffed as he sat in the backseat and they drove to their apartment; his new home.


	37. Fanatics 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one's all about puppy love.

Stupid Love

 

            Pepito grins as Squee stares with awe at his ears, or more specifically the golden hoops hanging from them.

            “Did they hurt?” he asks.

            “Nah,” Pepito scoffs, “it was like a hard pinch.”

            “I don’t see the reasoning behind humans piercing their appendages,” Zim says.

            “There are plenty of reasons,” he shrugs, “a fashion statement, maybe it’s sentimental.”

            “Why’d you do it?” he asks.

            “Definitely for a fashion statement.”

            “I think they’re cool,” Squee smiles.

            Pepito beams and his heart flutters.

            The bell rings and everyone scrambles to their seats as Ms. Bitters enters the classroom.

            “Okay, class. Today we will be learning about the massive vegetable drought and why vegetarians chose cannibalism over eating an animal,” she explains as she flips open her textbook. “Take notes because there will be a quiz on this.”

            Some of the students groan as they flip open their notebooks. Dib innocently glances at Squee and can’t help but notice how he’s holding his pencil in his left hand.

            “Hey, aren’t you right-handed?” he questions.

            “Yeah but I’m learning to be ambidextrous so I’ve been trying to write with my left hand more,” Squee replies, “it’s really hard. I’ve been practicing for a week and my writing is still messy.”

            “Enough talking. Now listen,” Ms. Bitters barks. The boys flinch and immediately prepare to take notes.

            After almost eighty minutes of listening to Ms. Bitters explain the reasoning behind vegetarians cannibalism- mostly because animals are cuter than humans- the lunch bell is a blessing. The students all sigh with relief and pack up their stuff before scurrying out of the classroom as quickly as they can.

            “Hey, what’s the lunch today?” Pepito asks.

            “Pork chops and mayonnaise,” Dib replies.

            “Ugh, I hate meat,” Zim groans.

            “I’m not sure the stuff the cafeteria uses is meat,” Pepito comments, “Squee, what’d you bring for lunch, you bag-luncher you.”

            “I think a PB&J sandwich,” he replies.

            “Care to share?”

            “Sure, we can split it.”

            “Yes!” Pepito cheers. Squee chuckles, amused. Pepito’s heart skips a beat at the noise.

            Lunch goes by too quickly, like it always does. Afterwards they have science. Earlier on in the year, the class split up into pairs for labs and experiments. Of course Zim and Dib are together and Pepito and Squee are together. Right now the class was in the Skool laboratory working on a chemistry experiment.

            “This is such inferior equipment,” Zim comments.

            “Spoiler alert: I did this experiment once,” Dib says, “it makes colourful foam.”

            “Congrats, Dib. You’re the biggest nerd in the Skool,” Pepito states.

            “Eyes on your own table,” Mr. Serene orders.

            Pepito quickly turns around back to Squee, who is busy reading the instructions. Pepito watches him contently. He looks so cute when he’s focused.

            “Okay, it says to pour a dash of that pink one into the orange one,” Squee says.

            “Kay,” Pepito sings and grabs the vial of pink liquid. He starts to pour into the orange one, watching Squee from the corner of his eye.

            “But watch out for the steam,” Squee warns.

            “The what?” Pepito questions. Before Squee has a chance to repeat himself, a huge cloud of hot steam escapes the vial, burning Pepito’s hand. He exclaims with surprise and jumps back.

            “Oh, Pepito, are you okay?” Squee asks frantically, “I’m so sorry, I should’ve warned you sooner.”

            “Ah, it’s cool,” Pepito shrugs as he grips his hand. “It doesn’t even hurt that much.”

            “This is why we must pay close attention to the instructions, class,” Mr. Serene announces, “Mr. C, please take Mr. Diablo to the nurse’s office.”

            Squee nods and leads Pepito out of the classroom. Zim giggles with amusement but immediately shuts up when Dib elbows him in the side.

            A few minutes later, Pepito and Squee are sitting on a bench in the hallway outside the nurse’s office. There is a bandage on Pepito’s hand but it’s not really needed. There isn’t even a mark.

            “Are you sure you’re okay?” Squee asks.

            “Oh, yeah,” Pepito nods, “burns don’t bother me.”

            “I’m really sorry. I should’ve mentioned it sooner,” he sighs.

            “It’s not your fault. I should’ve been paying attention,” Pepito argues.

            Squee fiddles with the strap of his tote bag. “I still can’t help but feel bad.”

            Pepito stares at him, a blush creeping across his cheeks. _He’s so cute and pure._

            The bench creaks as Pepito starts leaning towards him. Squee looks at him curiously. Their faces get inches apart.

            And the bell suddenly rings.

            They sit there, frozen as students walk past them to get to their next class. Then Pepito clears his throat and stands up. “We should get going.”

            “Right,” Squee nods and stands. They walk back to class together.

 

            Pepito and Squee walk down the snowy sidewalk, hand in hand. They spent most of the evening together, eating dinner at a nice family restaurant and talking about each other.

            “Learning to knife fight?” Pepito questions, “how’s that going?”

            “I’m not learning to fight, really,” Squee clarifies, “Johnny believes in ‘learning on the job’, as it were. I’m mostly learning to be ambidextrous.”

            “That’s so cool,” Pepito chimes.

            “It’s really hard,” he comments.

            “You can handle it,” he says reassuringly.

            Squee smiles at him. The silence of the winter evening coupled with the streetlamps and early moonlight making the snow sparkle equals a romantic ambiance that’s totally sucking Pepito in. And Squee’s shining smile just completely overtakes.

            He squeezes Squee’s hand and leans towards him. They’re only inches apart when classical music starts playing from Squee’s jeans.

            “Uh sorry,” Squee mutters as he pulls out his phone. He steps away from Pepito and answers the call. “Hello. What? Colton, slow down, I can’t hear you. She’s doing what? Alright, alright, I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

            He hangs up and sighs. “Sorry, Pepito. I’m not really sure what’s happening, but from what I could tell, Nugget got into a fight with a dog that lives a block away. Johnny’s egging her on and if I don’t stop it she’ll probably kill it.”

            “It’s cool. I’ll walk you home,” Pepito smiles.

            “Thanks,” he says gratefully. They hold hands again and walk to Squee’s place.

 

            Zim and Dib lounge on Zim’s couch as Mysterious Mysteries of Strange Mysteries plays on the TV. Dib’s completely engrossed, paying close attention with a big smile on his face. Zim can’t help feeling a little jealous, as petty as that sounds.

            “Dib, this episode’s stupid,” he groans, “that creek monster is clearly just a log covered in algae.”

            “I don’t know, Zim. They make a pretty convincing argument,” Dib argues.

            Zim growls. He sits up on his knees and kisses Dib on the neck. He looks at him with surprise. Zim smirks and presses their mouths together. Dib moans as he completely melts into the kiss, letting Zim take the remote away and turn the TV off as he pushes him down on the couch.

            Things start getting pretty heated when suddenly the doorbell rings and Pepito walks in.

            “Zim~~,” he whines, “why does everything suck?”

            “Huh?” Zim grunts questionably as he pulls his mouth off Dib’s.

            “The universe has conspired against me. I knew it, I always suspected it would keep me away from happiness,” he complains as he paces back and forth. He’s not the least bit bothered that Zim is lying on top of Dib.

            “What are you talking about?” Zim asks wearily as he stands up.

            “I really, really, REALLY want my first kiss with Squee but we keep getting interrupted,” Pepito clarifies.

            “I can see why interruptions would be annoying,” Dib comments drily as he sits up.

            “Why are you telling me this?” Zim asks.

            “I want you to help me,” Pepito replies.

            “What’s in it for me?”

            “Um the happiness of your friends and subordinates?” Pepito suggests.

            “Eh,” Zim shrugs apathetically.

            “My shutting up on the matter?”  
            “Alright, here’s what you need to do,” Zim states, “you just need to get you and Squee alone some place devoid of interruptions. You and your mom are settled in at your new house, right?”  
            “Yeah,” Pepito replies.

            “Invite him over when your mom’s out for some alone time.”

            “Ah, yes, that’s perfect,” Pepito grins.

            “Sorry to interrupt,” Dib says, “but Squee is really squeamish when it comes to everyday physical contact. How do you know he even wants to kiss you?”

            “Well, he hasn’t tried to avoid my advances so far and I’m pretty sure he knows what I’m trying to do,” Pepito points out.

            “Exactly. You’re both ready,” Zim insists, “now go set it up.”

            “Right. Thanks, Zim,” Pepito chimes and runs out of the house.

            “You were awfully helpful,” Dib comments as Zim sits down.

            “Anything to get him to shut up,” Zim grunts, “living with him I realized he talks as much as Gir and makes about as much sense.”

            He suddenly shoves Dib onto the couch and pins his arms above his head, a big smirk on his face. “Now, where were we?”

 

            “So what do you think?” Pepito asks as he leads Squee into his new house.

            “It’s nice,” Squee replies as he looks around.

            “Yeah. We haven’t got everything unpacked yet and it’s not as big as our old place, but it’s pretty nice for Mom and me,” Pepito says as they walk into the living room. He falls onto the couch and smiles, “so what do you wanna watch?”

            “Whatever you want,” Squee says as he sits down.

            “Okay,” Pepito sings as he starts perusing their DVDs. He took Zim’s advice and invited Squee over to his house for movie night Friday evening when his mom works late. That way they’re all alone and they don’t have to worry about Skool the next day. They can stay up all night.

            Pepito grins excitedly at the thought.

            “Do you like romantic comedies?” he asks.

            “Sure,” Squee shrugs.

            Pepito picks a movie and sticks it in the DVD player before sitting back on the couch. They sit close; not so close that they’re touching, but still close enough to feel each other’s body heat.

            They spend hours watching movies, mostly rom-coms. Pepito has such a good time just being with Squee, he almost forgets all about his ulterior motive. But he’s immediately reminded after he finishes another movie and Squee asks him a question.

            “Hey, do you have your guitar here?”

            “Huh? Uh, yeah,” Pepito replies, “it’s upstairs.”

            “Could you play it?”

            “What, now? Uh I don’t know. I’m still pretty rusty.”  
            “I’m sure you could play something great,” Squee beams. Pepito’s heart melts and he gets an idea.

            “How about we just play some music,” he suggests. He puts a CD into the stereo next to the TV and starts playing an upbeat, soft rock song.

            He sways a bit to the music before facing Squee, his arm stretched out. “Wanna dance?”

            “What? I-I don’t know how to dance,” Squee replies with surprise.

            “There’s nothing to know about dancing. You just don’t it,” Pepito says.

            Squee rubs wiggles his fingers uncertainly.

            “Come on. It’s just the two of us,” Pepito coaxes.

            Squee smiles nervously and takes his hand. Pepito pulls him to his feet and they start dancing. They keep some space between each other and rhythmically step back and forth. But as the songs go on, Pepito slowly pulls Squee closer. He gives him plenty of chances to back out if he wants to, but he doesn’t. And pretty soon their bodies are near touching, with Squee’s hands on Pepito’s shoulders and Pepito’s hands on Squee’s hips.

            Pepito’s heart is going fast. _This is it. The perfect moment. No interruptions and Squee’s so close. Jeez, look at him. He’s so freaking cute. I gotta do it!_

He starts to lean forward, his forehead nearly touches Squee. But he suddenly freezes and his heart sinks into his stomach.

            “Pepito?” Squee questions, immediately sensing something is wrong.

            “I uh I,” Pepito stammers as he steps away. “I’ll be right back.” 

            He races away and clambers up the stairs. Squee stares after him with confusion.

            Pepito pants as he stumbles in the bathroom. He slams the door close and falls to the floor. He groans and rubs his horn before grabbing his cell phone and hitting speed dial.

            “Hello?” Zim answers after a couple rings.

            “I couldn’t kiss him,” Pepito moans.

“What?”

“I couldn’t kiss him,” he reiterates.

“What do you mean? I thought you wanted to.”

            “I do. More than anything,” Pepito says, “but it’s…ah, it’s so confusing! I really want to but I’m terrified. What if Dib was right? What if he doesn’t want it? What if he doesn’t like it? What if I ruin everything?”

            On the other side of the phone call, Zim groans and rubs his antennae. Why is he more like a parent than a leader to these kids?

            A few minutes later, Pepito leaves the bathroom and trudges down the stairs. Squee is sitting on the couch, still listening to music. He perks up when he hears Pepito. “You okay?”

            “Yeah, sorry,” Pepito smiles apologetically. “It’s getting pretty late. Want me to walk you home?”

            “Sure,” Squee smiles and stands up.

            They put on all their winter gear and start to head for the door. Pepito watches Squee closely the entire time.

            After he had finished spilling his guts to Zim via the cell phone, he did eventually give him some useful and surprisingly simple advice. The hard part is actually going through with it.

            Pepito takes a deep breath and steels his nerves. “Squee!”

            “Yes?” he questions.

            Pepito fiddles with the hem of his jacket as he tries to gather the right words. “Uh well um I was uh wondering if.” He takes another deep breath. “Could I...kiss you?”

            Squee is clearly surprised by the request. A light blush spreads across his cheeks and he looks at the floor. “Um o-okay.”

            Pepito steps forward. He bends his neck and tentatively presses his lips against Squee’s. Neither of them touches the other, arms just hanging stiffly at their sides. It’s very awkward.

            Pepito pulls away. They stare at each other for a second before Squee starts giggling.

            “W-what?” Pepito questions.

           “Sorry,” he chuckles, “it’s just…you’re usually so confident. I’ve never seen you so…hesitant. It’s kind of cute.”

            Pepito blushes and looks away. “I guess it’s because…I really want you. But now that I can finally have you, I’m scared of losing you.”

            Squee smiles. “You’re not going to lose me. I…I really like you, Pepito.”

            Pepito’s heart bursts. He grabs Squee’s face and kisses him deeply. Squee slowly reaches up and grips the front of Pepito’s jacket as he sinks into it.

            They split apart and look at each other, wide eyed and red faced. They start giggling at each other.

            “Come on,” Pepito beams, “I’ll walk you home.”

            “Okay,” Squee smiles. They take each other’s hand and walk to Squee’s house. It’s a cold winter’s night, but they feel warm next to each other.

            They stop outside of Squee’s yard and bid each other a good night. Their hands slowly slip apart as Squee walks up to the door. Pepito waits until he’s safely inside before turning to leave.

            He laughs and jumps celebratory into the air. “Woohoo!” He races down the road, cheering excitedly before grabbing his phone and calling Zim.

            “What?” the grumpy alien answers.

            “We did it! We kissed and it was great!” Pepito exclaims.

            “That’s good. Glad I could help,” Zim says apathetically. “Now I thought in return for my helping you, you’d shut up about it.”

            “Oh, I will. Don’t worry, I won’t complain about not being able to kiss Squee,” Pepito reassures, “now I’m going rave about having the best boyfriend ever! He said he really likes me! That’s almost love! Isn’t he just the sweetest thing ever?”

            On the other side of the call, Zim groans exhaustedly. He lies down on his bed and rests his phone on a pillow nearby, close enough for him to listen. He closes his eyes and slowly falls asleep to the sound of Pepito’s happiness.


	38. Fanatics 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Battalion investigates a mysterious character.

That Rich Vampire Kid

 

            “Behold!” Dib exclaims as he spins in his chair and presents the object of his beholding.

            “Ooooh,” Zim, Gaz, Squee, and Pepito say in awe as they look at it.

            “What is it?” Squee asks.

            “I call it The Shock Therapy Glove!” he replies. It’s a black glove with small fuses on each knuckle connected to electrical conduits that run to a large circle in the middle of the palm. “See, I activate it by flipping this switch here, which causes an electrical charge to run through the wires and into the palm. Then all I gotta do is hit myself in the back of the neck, and I will receive the benefits of increased brain activity.”

            “Good lord, you’ll fry your head,” Squee says fearfully.

            “No, I already tested it,” Dib argues, “it worked great.”

            “Okay. Clearly I missed out on a lot,” he points out, “but why would you wanna do that?” 

            “Shock therapy increases my brain activity for a short period of time, allowing me to view creatures of separate planes of existence,” Dib explains, “in other words, I’ll get a stronger sixth sense.”

            “Oh I get it,” Squee nods, “that seems awfully excessive.”

            “Maybe,” he shrugs, “but it’s worth it.”

            “That’s debatable,” Pepito grunts.

            “So you invited all of us over to show us this?” Zim questions.

            “Well, yes,” Dib replies, “but also I wanted to talk to you guys about something. Do you remember that boy from Saint Double U’s, the one that beat Squee at the Fitness Competition?”

            They reply somewhat affirmatively.

            “Jeff Von was his name,” Dib explains, “I’ve been doing some research since then and I think he might be a vampire.”

            “What makes you think that?” Gaz asks sceptically.

            “Squee said he had sharp teeth and he was really fast and strong. It makes sense.”

            “I have really sharp teeth and am pretty strong,” Pepito points out as he flexes, showing off his nice bicep. He gives Squee a quick eyebrow wiggle before asking Dib, “does that make me a vampire?”

            “No, but you’re the antichrist,” Dib retorts.

            “Minor difference,” he scoffs.

            “So what if he is a vampire?” Squee questions.

            “Then we must destroy him,” Dib replies like it’s so obvious.

            “Why?”

            “Er because he’s a vampire.”  
            “So?”

            “He’s an unholy beast made for destroying humanity,” Dib points out with frustration.

            “So are Pepito, Zim, Nny, Nugget, Goths, and politicians but you’re not looking to destroy them,” Squee retorts, “besides, how do we know if Jeff Von is even dangerous?”

            “Why don’t we find out?” Zim suggests, “we stake out his house and see if he is a threat.”

            “Good idea, Zim,” Dib smiles.

            “Yeah, good idea,” Gaz groans, “staking out a random family in the freezing weather. That’s exactly how I want to spend my Saturday night.”  
            “Do you even know where he lives?” Pepito asks.

            “I do indeed,” Dib replies proudly. He grabs a notebook labeled ‘Jeff Von’ from his desk drawer before jumping to his feet. “Let’s go.”  
            The kids sigh and follow him downstairs. They put on their winter gear and head outside into the cold winter air. Dib marches ahead, fueled and warmed by his never-ending ambition. Zim, Gaz, and Squee stick close to Pepito, warmed by his naturally high body heat.

            They walk for nearly half an hour before reaching the rich district: streets full of beautiful mansions and cleanly plowed roads and sidewalks. Even the snow piles seem neat and proper.

            “FYI, the Von’s are one of the richest families in the city,” Dib states, “I’m certain they got that status through evil ways.”

            “Don’t most?” Squee grunts.

            “Here’s their house,” he announces as they stop in front of a mansion. He smiles excitedly and immediately enters the yard. The others follow close behind.

            “Everybody, keep low and quiet,” Zim warns. They move slowly and close to the ground as they reach the side of the house. They stop as they reach a lit up window and peek inside.

            It’s some kind of living room with a really high ceiling, floors carpeted with what looks like velvet, and expensive pieces of art everywhere.

            “Wow,” Pepito breathes.

            “Hyumans sure do enjoy flaunting their wealth,” Zim comments.

            “It doesn’t look like anybody’s here,” Gaz observes.

            “They are vampires. Maybe they’re out for the night, looking for prey,” Dib suggests.

            Squee suddenly perks up and spins around. “Somebody’s coming,” he hisses.

            The others react immediately and start to scramble away. They rush down the length of the house and to the backyard. They duck around the corner and hold their breath.

            Squee is the first to sense the sudden presence beside them. The others are close behind and they blanch as they turn.

            “What young trespassers,” the man comments. The kids shiver fearfully before him. He’s dressed in a nice suit with neatly combed hair and really doesn’t look that scary, but it’s just the aura he gives off. Like he wouldn’t be above hurting a child.

            He snarls and lunges forward. The kids don’t even have time to scream before he grabs them by the collars of their coats and drags them inside. He takes them into what appears to be some sort of office and presents them to a well-dressed, pale, black haired man sitting behind the desk.

            “Sir, these kids were skulking around outside,” he states.

            “We weren’t skulking!” Dib argues.

            “Yeah, we were barely creeping,” Squee adds.

            The man behind the desk looks at them and they flinch under his piercing glare.

            He suddenly smiles very friendly-like and waves his hand. “Come now, Sebastian. That’s no way to treat our guests. Let them go, would you?”

            “Yes, sir,” Sebastian nods as he releases the kids. They look back and forth between the two men with confusion.

            “Now go ready some tea and leave it in the den,” the man orders as he stands up. “We’ll be there shortly.”

            “As you wish,” he bows before leaving the room.

            “My apologies for my butler’s rude behaviour,” the man says as he walks up to them. “He’s rather…territorial. I, on the other hand, am always happy to accept guests into the house.”

            “We’re onto you, vampire!” Dib snaps, “and we’re here to destroy you!”

            “Please, please,” he says politely, “let’s retire to the den for some tea, and then we can discuss your business here.”

            The kids glance at each other before following him out of the office. Dib glares at his back, certain that he’s a bloodsucking monster, but the others are a bit more questionable.

            “Don’t drink the tea,” Dib whispers, “it’s probably poisonous.”

            “I don’t know. He doesn’t seem dangerous,” Squee argues.

            “Still, be on your guard,” Zim orders, “we’re in unfamiliar territory here.”

            They reach the den which holds multiple fancy pieces of furniture and art. The man invites them to sit on a couch. In front of them is a coffee table holding a tray with fancy china filled with tea and cute little snacks.

            “Please, help yourself,” he says.

            The second he turns his back, Zim’s PAK releases a scanner on a tentacle, which quickly scans the tea and snacks. A screen appears displaying the ingredients of the items, none of which are toxic.

            Pepito grabs a cup and takes a sip. “Oh, Earl Gray.”

            “Now then,” the man says as he presents himself. “I am Charles Von. And you are?”

            “I am Zim,” Zim says proudly, “this is Dib, Gaz, Pepito, and Squee.”

            “I see. And judging from Dib’s outburst, you know I am vampire,” Charles states.

            “So you admit it!” Dib exclaims dramatically.

            “I have no reason to hide it if you already know,” he shrugs, “but I assure you I am not dangerous. I do not wish to harm humans.”  
            “So you’re not going to drink our blood?” Pepito questions.

            “Oh, goodness no,” Charles replies, “human blood is so fatty and unhealthy. My family and I drink blood substitutes like ‘I-Can’t-Believe-It’s-Not-Blood’. It’s much healthier and tastes pretty much the same.”  
            “Wow. That’s kind of disappointing,” Gaz mutters.

            “Are you satisfied now, Dib?” Squee asks.

            “You don’t really believe him, do you?” Dib questions with disbelief.

            “I’m sold,” Pepito says as he shoves another mini sandwich into his mouth. “Anyone willing to serve snacks this good can’t be evil.”  
            “I’m glad you like them,” Charles beams, “they’re my wife’s recipe. She’s a professional cook. Speaking of which, you should meet my family. I’m sure that would erase any doubts you may have. Please wait a second.”

            As soon as he’s out of the room, Dib jumps to his feet and faces his friends.

            “We have to get out of here! They’re going to devour us!” he exclaims.

            “Would you relax?” Gaz growls.

            “It’d be rude to leave now,” Squee points out.

            “I want more of those mini sandwiches,” Pepito says.

            “Zim?” Dib questions pleadingly.

            Zim just shrugs.

            “Ugh, fine,” Dib groans and sits back down. “But when we’re all getting the blood drained from our veins, you’ll be sorry you didn’t listen to me.”

            Charles returns with three people behind him: a beautiful, blonde, pale older woman, a just as beautiful, black haired, pale young woman, and a handsome, black haired, pale teen boy. They immediately recognize him as Jeff Von. Judging from the surprised expression on his face, he recognizes them too.

            “This is my family,” Charles announces, “my wife, Matilda, my daughter, Serena, and my son, Jeff.”

            “Why are they here?” Jeff asks suspiciously.

            “They’re our visitors,” he replies.

            “They’re from that cheap High Skool,” he comments.

            “Cheap?” Zim questions, offended.

            “Now, Jeffrey, don’t be rude,” Charles scolds, “my apologies. But I do hope this helped with any doubts you may have.”

            Zim, Gaz, Pepito, and Squee glance at Dib questionably.

            “Well,” he grunts, “I guess you’re not guilty of anything terrible. I’m sorry for any trouble we caused.”

            “Apology accepted,” Charles smiles, “I’m always happy to change the negative views humans have on my species.”

             “We should go,” Dib says as they stand up. “Thanks for having us.”  
            “You’re very welcome,” he replies, “the front door is just straight that way. You can see yourself out.”

            The kids gather their stuff and leave the den. They enter a large hallway and start to head for the large front door.

            “Sorry, guys. I guess this was kind of a waste of time,” Dib sighs.

            “Nah, it was fun,” Pepito smiles.

            “Yeah. And it put your suspicions to rest which is a good thing,” Squee adds.

            “Thanks for putting up with me,” he smiles.

            “That’s what a team is for,” Zim shrugs.

            Dib smiles gratefully. They reach the front door and Zim starts to grab the handle, but stops when he senses someone behind them.

            They turn around to Jeff and Serena.

            “You runts got some nerve marching into our territory like this,” Serena growls.

            “Look, it was all just a huge misunderstanding,” Dib insists, “we didn’t mean any harm.”

            “We don’t care what your reasoning is,” Jeff says, “you entered a vampire’s lair. Now we’re gonna suck you dry.”

            “I thought you guys didn’t drink actual blood,” Pepito points out.

            “Our parents don’t. But we do,” Serena smirks, “nothing can compare to feel of your victim squirming beneath as you drain them of every last drop of their life.”

            “I told you they were dangerous,” Dib mutters.

            Serena and Jeff bare their sharp fangs before lunging forward. The kids scream and jump out of the way. Zim slides across the carpeted floor as he reaches into his PAK and grabs his laser gun. He begins firing at Serena but she dodges every shot with amazing speed. Meanwhile, Pepito reaches over his shoulder to his guitar which is hanging off his back. He pulls it off the strap and wields it like a sword as he faces off with Jeff.

            “Wanna go, pretty boy?” he smirks. Jeff snarls and charges him. Pepito swings his guitar, releasing a wave of black energy. Jeff ducks underneath it with ease and it slices cleanly through tapestries on the wall and at least three vases before dissipating.

            Jeff attacks like an animal, even charging on all fours sometimes. Pepito struggles to dodge him as he fires his own attacks. But Jeff’s too quick and agile; he dodges everything while lunging fluidly.

            Zim’s not doing any better. Serena dodges every laser beam, gradually getting closer and closer to him. She jumps forward, fangs bared. Zim’s spider legs come out to protect him. She grabs them and rips them in half with ease. Zim flinches with terror and brings up his arm to protect his face. Serena grabs one and bites him, her fangs digging through his gloves and right into his skin. He screams in pain.

            Her face twists with disgust and she jumps back, tearing his arm out of her mouth. She spits pink fluid onto the floor.

            “That was disgusting!” she exclaims, “you’re not human!”

            Zim blinks like he just realized that as he rubs his arm. “Oh. Right.”

            Serena wipes her mouth and looks around for some better prey. She quickly spots Gaz and smirks before charging.

            “Hey!” Zim exclaims. He lifts his gun and starts firing again.

            Meanwhile Pepito dodges Jeff one last time before slamming against the wall. Jeff smirks victoriously and jumps at him. Pepito lifts his guitar to protect himself, but it will only do so much. Jeff’s strong jaws can probably bite right through the neck.

            He’s inches away from Pepito when Squee suddenly appears right beside him, knife in hand. Jeff tries to dodge but to his surprise he’s too slow, and Squee slices his arm.

            Jeff exclaims in pain and stumbles back, gripping his bleeding forearm. Squee stares at him with an expression of surprise and guilt, blood dripping from his knife. Jeff glares at him then smirks.

            “I remember you,” he says, “I beat you at a race during the Fitness Competition a couple months ago. You fell, like a loser, and scraped your hands and face. I could smell your blood. It was delicious. I wanted to drain you right there.”

            Squee blanches with fear and steps back as he starts trembling. Pepito immediately steps in front of him protectively.

            Jeff snarls and jumps forward. The boys flinch back. Squee lifts his knives in front of his face and squeezes his eyes shut as he shouts, “Shmee!”

            The bear jumps out of his bag and flips through the air. Jeff stares at him with surprise before jumping back, barely dodging his little fist. He smashes a hole in the floor.

            Shmee looks up and glares at Jeff. He flinches back with surprise. Shmee charges, jumps into the air, and attacks with loads of high kicks. But Jeff is able to dodge every single one.

            Meanwhile, Serena is charging Gaz. She sees her coming and grabs the closest thing that resembles a bat, which happens to be some sort of sculpture. She swings but Serena ducks under it. Gaz keeps swinging but Serena dodges every single one, getting closer and closer.

            Gaz swings again but this time Serena catches it and smashes it to pieces with one quick squeeze. Gaz drops the remains and backs away.

            “They’re too fast,” Squee comments fearfully as he watches Jeff dodge every one of Shmee’s attacks.

            “They’re too strong,” Zim adds as he jumps in front of Gaz and begins firing his gun but Serena dodges every single laser.

            “I could have both of those qualities with increased brain activity,” Dib mutters. He reaches into his coat and pulls out his Shock Therapy Glove. He slips it on and activates it. The circle in his palm lights up.

            He holds his breath and slams it on the back of his neck. He spasms as the electrical shock travels through his body before tearing his hand away. His pupils dilate and his scythe lock seems to twitch almost like lightening. A wild grin appears on his face.

            He races forward with amazing speed that might even rival Squee’s. He appears beside Serena. She looks at him with surprise before he slams his fist in his face. She flies across the room and smashes into a wall.

            Nobody has time to react before he’s beside Jeff. He lifts his arm and chops him in the back, slamming him into the floor.

            Both vampires groan painfully. Dib lifts his hands to the sky victoriously and laughs.

            The laugh is cut short when the effects of the shock therapy wears off and exhaustion hits him hard. He moans as his legs start to give out beneath him.

            “Dib!” the others exclaim as they rush forward. Zim barely catches him before he hits the floor.

            “That was pretty impressive,” Serena comments as she stands up, wiping blood from her mouth.

            “Indeed,” Jeff agrees as he gets on his knees. “I certainly wasn’t expecting that from a mere human. I’m sure he’ll taste delicious.”

            Zim, Gaz, Pepito, Squee, and Shmee crowd around the half-conscious Dib, ready to protect him as the vampire siblings approach them, fangs bared angrily.

            “Enough!”

            They both flinch as Charles suddenly appears behind them. “Father!” they exclaim. He lifts his hands and smacks them both upside the head. They gasp and fall to their knees.

            “I cannot believe you attacked these children after I explicitly said not to!” he shouts angrily, “you disobeyed me!”

            “But-but, Father-,” the kids beg.

            “No buts!” All of the light in the room disappears as Charles seems to grow and grow, becoming darker and darker, like he’s transforming into a giant, shadowy monster. The kids shudder fearfully before him. He opens his mouth, baring his large, white fangs.

            “You’re both grounded!”  
            The lights come back and Charles looks normal again. “Go to your rooms!” he orders.

            Jeff and Serena sigh as they stand up and limp away. Zim, Dib, Gaz, Pepito, and Squee stare with awe and bewilderment as Charles approaches them.

            “I am so sorry about what they did,” he says as he bows his head. “They can be such rebels sometimes. I promise they will be punished thoroughly. I do hope their stupid mistake hasn’t changed your mind about us though.”

            Zim, Gaz, Pepito, and Squee look questionably at Dib. He groans as he stands up.

            “We won’t destroy you,” he says, “however, as a Paranormal Investigator if I see your children out doing bad things, I will punish them. Just remember that.”

            The kids smile at him.

            “I understand,” Charles nods.

            “Oh and sorry about your house, by the way,” he adds.

            “Don’t worry about it. I can easily replace everything here,” he shrugs.

            “Come on, guys. Let’s go,” Dib orders. Squee sticks his knives and Shmee back into his bag, Pepito reattaches his guitar to its strap, and Zim sticks his gun back into his PAK and they all leave, safely this time.

            “We did pretty good back there,” Zim states.

            “Are you kidding?” Pepito scoffs, “if it wasn’t for Dib’s glove and Charles, we would’ve all been vampire chow.”

            “Not me,” he argues, “apparently vampires don’t like the taste of my blood.”

            “That makes sense,” Squee nods.

            “But Zim’s right,” Dib says, “we did do good. We were a great team! We should do this all the time! Every monster in the city will fear us!”

            “Hey, since we’re out we should check up on this family that I’m certain are werewolves,” he suggests excitedly, “and then we should look into this cave that Bigfoot definitely lives in. And while we’re at it, I’m pretty sure the lake outside the city is home to a monster too!”

            The kids groan exhaustedly as Dib goes on and on about his monster suspicions. But none of them really argue. Even if they did, nothing good would come of it.


	39. Fanatics 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A young Johnny tries to get used to his new life.

Fragments of a Past Reality: Enjoy Life

 

            “What’s the matter, Nny?”  
            A drowning Johnny C looked up from his class of tea at Granny Cammie. She had a worried expression on her face and he knew it was because he looked depressed. He usually tried to hide his emotions but he let his guard down around Granny. He couldn’t hide himself, even if he wanted to.  

            She moved from her wheelchair and sat beside him on her couch. “You should be happy. You got a job, a place to live, a car. Those are all good things.”

            “I know. I’m a functioning human being,” he nodded.

            “So then why are you so sad?” she asked.

            Johnny just shrugged.

            She smiled sadly and wrapped her arm around his shoulders. “Life isn’t always bad. You’re allowed to enjoy it once in a while.”

            Johnny looked at her. She grinned and patted his cheek.

            “I should get going,” he grunted as he stood up.

            “Okay,” Cammie nodded, “so if something happens to you, I’ll get a call, right?”

            “Yes. That’s what an emergency contact is, I think,” he replied as he walked to the door.

            “Good. I hope I don’t get a call then,” she said.

            He opened the door and waved. “Later.”

            “Bye,” she waved back as he left.

            Johnny walked away from the house and got into his new car. Well, not really new, but it was new to him. He started it and drove off, leaving Los Angeles and heading back to the Nameless City.

            The day before, Johnny got a job as a hitman for the most powerful man in the city, Celio Mussolini. Along with the job he also got an apartment, a car, and two unwanted partners by the names of Carson and Suzuki.

            That night, after filling out a bunch of paperwork that he mostly bullshit his way through, he took the car and left for Los Angeles, to see the only person he could tolerate.

            Johnny thought a lot about Granny’s words as he drove. He hasn’t actually enjoyed living since he was kid, and even then it never lasted long. So how could he possibly enjoy life when life just wasn’t enjoyable? Of course he could try suicide, but the only good thing that would bring was rest, and he didn’t want rest.

            He arrived back home and headed up to his apartment. Carson and Suzuki were there waiting for him. Carson was holding a paper and there was a large bag sitting on the coffee table.

            “Oh, good, you’re back,” he said, “we just got our next job.”

            “What’s in the bag?” Johnny asked as he walked in.

            “Weapons Mr. Mussolini sent over for you,” Carson replied.

            Johnny opened it to reveal a lot of nice, scary looking guns. Any other murderer would be ecstatic, but Johnny just felt offended.

            “Guns?” he barked as he picked up a pistol. “I said I wanted knives, not guns!”

            “Well, guns are much stronger than knives,” Carson pointed out, “they cause more damage and are better for long range.”

            Johnny whipped the pistol at him. It zipped past his head and smashed a small crater in the wall. Carson blanched with fear.

            “I don’t use guns,” Johnny snarled.

            “G-got it,” Carson whimpered.

            “Here.” Johnny turned around to Suzuki handing him two small machetes. “Use these. I will take guns.”

            “Thanks,” he replied as he took the knives. This was his first time hearing Suzuki talk. She had a very thick Japanese accent.

            She picked up the bag and swung it over her shoulder with ease. “Now let’s go. We have job to do.”

            She marched out and down the hall. Johnny and Carson followed close behind.

            “Um here,” Carson said as he handed Johnny the sheet of paper. “Information on our target.”

            Johnny took it, glanced quickly at the photo, then handed it back.

            “Uh,” Carson hummed questionably.

            “I just need to know what he looks like,” Johnny grunted.

            “Don’t you wanna know anything about him?” he asked.

            “Why? He’s gonna be dead pretty soon,” he pointed out.

            They got into the car- Carson driving, Suzuki in the passenger seat, and Johnny in the back- and drove off. A few minutes later they arrived at a seedy, old apartment building. They got out and went inside.

            “Our guy is in room 38,” Suzuki said.

            “Listen, Johnny, this could get dangerous,” Carson warned, “he could be armed or have friends that are armed. So just stay behind us and try not to get hurt.”

            “Don’t worry about me,” Johnny grunted.

            They arrived at the room. Suzuki knocked and a few seconds later, their victim answered. He immediately went pale with fear and slammed the door shut.

            “Open the door!” Carson ordered, “make this easy on yourself!”

            “I swear I’ll pay him back!” the man shouted back. “I just need more time!”

            “Okay, we gotta work fast. We can’t let him get away,” Carson said quickly, “Suzu, you and Johnny go outside and make sure he doesn’t escape through the window. I’ll stay here and break in.”  
            “Fuck that,” Johnny snapped. He slammed his foot against the door, kicking it off its hinges.

            He stepped into the apartment and looked around. The target was starting to climb out a window holding a handgun. He pointed it at Johnny and fired. Johnny dove out of the way. Carson and Suzuki both screamed as the bullet shattered the door frame inches away from them.

           Johnny ducked behind an easy chair, using it as cover as the man continued to shoot his gun. He fired recklessly, not even taking into account the number of bullets. As soon as Johnny started hearing the harmless clicking, he struck.

            He jumped over the chair and raced across the room. The target was slipping out the window. He almost made it out but Johnny grabbed him by his hair and threw him into the wall. He tried to scramble away but Johnny slammed his foot onto his chest and held him still.

            “Wait, wait, please!” he begged, “I will pay him back! I swear I will!”

            Johnny ignored his pleas as he lifted his knife and sliced it across his neck. The man gagged on blood as Johnny moved his foot, letting him fall to the floor, dead.

            “There. Done,” Johnny grunted as he walked past Carson and Suzuki and down the hall. They stared after with bewilderment.

            “Uh um call Mr. Mussolini,” Carson commanded, “let him know it’s done.”

            Suzuki nodded as she took out her cell phone and dialed Mussolini’s number. Meanwhile, Carson chased after Johnny.

            “Johnny, that was very reckless!” Carson snapped, “you could’ve been hurt. We could’ve been hurt.”

            “Nobody was hurt and we finished the job,” Johnny pointed out.

            “You should’ve done as I said. I’ve been at this longer than you.”

            “Have you? Do you think that just because you kill people for money means you’re better at it than me?” Johnny barked, “you have no idea what kind of shit I’ve done and don’t try to pretend you do. Mussolini hired me for my so-called ‘skills’ so I’m going to use them. And no squirmy little weasel is going to tell me otherwise.”

            Carson just stared at him, scared and speechless.

            “Now get out of my way,” Johnny snapped as he shoved past him and through the front door.

            “D-don’t you want a ride back home?” Carson asked.

            “I’ll walk,” he replied curtly as he started heading down the street.

            It took Johnny nearly an hour to reach the apartment, but he made it there before they did. He trudged through the living room and into his bedroom. He took a quick look at it before collapsing face first on the bed.

            He didn’t sleep. He just lied there in the dim light, staring at nothing.

            He heard the door open and his roommates return. One of them knocked on his bedroom door. He got up and opened it.

            “Here,” Suzuki said as she handed him a stuffed envelope. “Money for today’s job.”

            She walked away and Johnny closed the door. He lied back down the bed and opened the envelope. Inside was a lot of cash. He stared at it for a second before it hit and he groaned and buried his face into his hands.

            He just got paid to kill someone.

            “What kind of fucking life is this?”


	40. Fanatics 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Battalion investigate a mysterious rumour.

The Trespasser

 

            “…and lunch today will be chicken and mustard. Have a fine day of learning.”

            The speaker cuts out as the morning announcements finish. Miss Sweeties gets up from her desk and presents herself.

            “Okay. Would anyone like to present their current events assignment?” she asks cheerfully.

            Most of the class looks away awkwardly. But Dib immediately perks up, hand shooting into the air. “Me! Oh, oh Miss Sweeties, me me!”

            Miss Sweeties glances at Dib briefly before looking hopefully at the rest of the class. “A-anyone at all?”

            “Me! Miss Sweeties, me! Me!” Dib begs as he waves his arms around.

            “I will, Miss Sweeties,” Zita says.

            “Zita, excellent,” Miss Sweeties chimes, “come on up.”

            “Oh,” Dib groans as he slouches back in his chair.

            Zita smiles as she grabs some papers from her bag and goes up to the front of the class. She clears her throat and says very professionally, “today in current events the mayor was presented with a difficult dilemma when people started demanding more streets get paved.”

            She starts rambling on about boring news topics, like politics or local businesses going on strike. Nobody really pays attention until she brings up her last topic.

            “And finally, in mysterious news,” she says, “a farmer just outside the city called the police when he spotted a large creature on his property, near his horses. One cop went to investigate. When he didn’t return for a few hours, a couple more went to search for him and found him unconscious, covered in large scratch wounds. He has no idea what attacked him and the creature is still at large.”

            Dib is perked up again, staring at Zita with wide, shining eyes. As she finishes her story, he leans back and smirks.

            Later, after class, Dib grins excitedly at Zim, Pepito, and Squee as they exit the classroom. They stare at him, nervous and uncertain.

            “I know what we’re doing after Skool,” he sings.

           The boys groan, knowing full-well what he means. Meanwhile, somewhere else in the Skool, Gaz gets a sick feeling that her whole night is going to be a pain.

 

            “I hate snow,” Zim groans as the Battalion trudge through deep snow to the bush on the outskirts of town. “It’s even worse than water. At least water burns me right away. Snow melts, slowly stinging me and getting progressively worse until it sears me completely. It’s like torture.”

            “Is that why you’re all bundled up?” Pepito questions, eyeing his tuque, scarf, mittens, parka, ski pants, and boots.

            “It’s for protection,” Zim clarifies.

            “You barely have any movement,” he points out, “you waddle, like a penguin.”

            “I’m fine,” he insists.

            “Why are we here again?” Gaz asks.

            “There is a creature trespassing on a farm nearby,” Dib replies, “we’re going to find out what it is and get rid of it.”

            “Why? Why can’t we leave it to the authorities?” Squee questions.

            “The authorities can’t handle something like this. It’s up to us to fix the problem,” he declares.

            “Because you think it’s something paranormal, right?” Pepito asks.

            “I don’t think. I know.”

            “But _how_ do you know? How do you know it’s not just some wild beast, like a cougar or a wolf?”

            “Look, we’re just going to scout around,” Dib explains, “if it turns out it is just some wild animal, then we’ll leave it to the authorities. But I know it isn’t. I can feel it. There’s something supernatural going on.”

            With that, the kids trek deeper into the woods. They spend hours looking around, the sun long disappearing behind the horizon. Zim, Gaz, Pepito, and Squee grow less and less hopeful with each passing minute. But not Dib. Dib is certain. Dib is motivated. Dib is blindly obsessed.

            But he’s also right. And that is quickly proven when they stumble upon some odd tracks in the snow.

            It appears to be two different sets, one set being large bird talons and the other being large paws. But they create a pattern: two talons, two paws, two talons, two paws. Almost like the different sets belong to the same creature.

            “I knew it!” Dib squeals excitedly, “see? What wild animal makes tracks like that?”

            The others examine the foot prints with interest.

            “I already have an idea of what sort of creature it is,” he muses as he starts following them. “Come on, let’s see where they go!”

            “Hm,” Zim hums curiously, “what do you think, Squee?”

            Dib freezes in his tracks and slowly turns around, an expression of bewilderment and slight disgust on his face. _Zim’s asking what Squee thinks?_

            “Um,” Squee mutters as he looks around. “Well, they definitely look like they could’ve been made by some sort of,” he shudders, “monster. But I don’t sense any danger nearby. And neither does Shmee. Maybe it’s not a threat.”  
            “Of course it’s a threat,” Dib snaps, “it attacked a cop!”

            Squee just shrugs innocently.

            “Come on,” he scoffs, “let’s just see where these tracks lead.”

            They follow the mysterious prints, keeping a close eye on their surroundings for any sort of monster. But after a few minutes the tracks stop quite abruptly, right in the middle of a clearing. The kids stare at it suspiciously.

            “Where did it go?” Pepito asks.

            “Did the wind cover the rest of the tracks up?” Gaz suggests.

            “There is no wind,” Squee argues.

            “It couldn’t have just disappeared,” Zim points out.

            “Unless it can fly!” Dib deduces.

            The kids slowly look up and examine the dark sky. At first they see nothing. But then something large flies overhead, just below the tree tops. They gasp with surprise.

            “What was that?” Squee asks fearfully.

            “I don’t know. It was too dark to see,” Pepito replies.

            “There it is again!” Gaz exclaims.

            It emerges from the trees, circles for a second, and then plummets down, landing in the snow a few feet away. The kids stare at it, wide eyed with surprise and awe.

            It’s a large beast with the torso, head, and wings of an eagle and the back end and tail of a lion. It takes one look at the kids before screeching and racing away.

            “It’s a griffin! I knew it!” Dib exclaims with excitement. “This is incredible! I’ve only heard about them in stories. I don’t think anyone in the Swollen Eyeball has even seen one. Wait until they hear about this! Oh, pictures. I need to show them pictures.”

            He reaches into his jacket and pulls out a camera. He quickly turns it on and races after the griffin, giggling with glee.

            “Dib, wait!” Squee calls out but he ignores him.

            “We better go after him,” Zim sighs. The others nod and chase after him.

            A little ways ahead, Dib is ducked behind a snowy bush, camera in hand. A few feet before him is the griffin. It’s looking around suspiciously. Dib grins as he lifts his camera and snaps a picture. The flash goes off, startling the beast. It screeches and runs away.

            The others catch up as Dib pockets his camera.

            “There. You got your picture,” Gaz grunts, “can we go home now?”

            “What? Of course not,” Dib scoffs.

            “Why?” they groan.

            “That thing is a dangerous threat. We must neutralize it,” he replies.

            “What?” Squee exclaims.

            “It attacked someone. We have to destroy it before it does it again,” he clarifies and races off again. “Come on.”

            They chase after him immediately, following the griffin’s prints. They slide to a stop when they suddenly disappear and look to the skies. The griffin can be seen flying overhead, illuminated by the moonlight.

            “Oh this will make for a great shot,” Dib states as he grabs his camera. He lifts it over his eyes and starts to take a picture.

            The griffin screeches and swoops down, talons out.

            “Incoming!” Pepito exclaims.

            The kids scream and duck. The griffin’s talons just nearly miss their heads, but Dib’s not so lucky as it smacks his camera out of his hands, tearing through the metal.

            “No!” he exclaims in horror.

            “That thing could’ve torn our heads off!” Pepito squeaks.

            “Now do you believe it’s a threat?” Dib snaps, “we have to kill it!”

            “No!” Squee argues, “we can’t kill it! I don’t think it is a threat. I don’t think it means to be dangerous. It’s just scared.”

            “What makes you think that?” Zim questions.

            “I’m not sensing any danger from it. Not even when it attacked us,” he replies, “I think it’s just scared of us.”

            “But it’s a giant beast!” Pepito points out.

            “That doesn’t mean anything. There must be some reason behind its action,” Squee insists.

            “How would you know?” Dib barks, “what makes you such an expert? What gives you the right to argue with me? I’ve been studying these kinds of things all my life! These kinds of things are my life! And you think you understand them better? Why, just because you can see ghosts or something? And I can’t? That doesn’t mean anything! I’m way better than you, you…insecure know-it-all wannabe!”

            “Dib!” Gaz snaps.

            Dib flinches. He immediately covers his mouth and looks at Squee. He’s staring back with his usual, wide-eyed blank look.

           The griffin’s screech can be heard off in the distance. Dib growls before running after it. Zim, Gaz, and Pepito watch him leave then look worriedly at Squee. He just stares after Dib.

            “We uh better go after him,” Zim suggests.

            “Y-yeah,” Pepito nods. He gives Squee a quick pat on the shoulder before they chase after Dib.

            “You okay?” Shmee asks.

            “Yeah,” Squee replies.

            “Something terrible is going to happen,” he warns.

            “I know.”

            Squee doesn’t follow them. He looks around curiously for a second before running off in a completely different direction.

            He finds the griffin first. He ducks behind a tree and watches it.

            It looks around nervously for a second before it starts digging in the snow. It almost appears to be looking for something.

            Squee leans forward for a better look. His hand slips off the tree and he loses his balance and falls face first into the snow. The griffin looks at him with surprise and screeches.

          Squee quickly sits up and lifts his hands defensively. “It-it’s alright. I’m not going to hurt you.”

            The griffin glares at him suspiciously. It creeps towards him, tail lashing back and forth angrily. Squee tenses up as it sniffs his hands. This thing could tear off his arms right here and he wouldn’t stand a chance.

            But it doesn’t. It suddenly gets a very calm and tired expression on its face. It doesn’t look menacing at all.

            Squee cautiously reaches towards it. “You’re not dangerous at all, are you? You’re just stressed.”

            His hand almost reaches the griffin’s beak. His fingers nearly touch it when he hears someone shout behind.

            “Squee! You found it!” Dib exclaims.  

            Squee spins around and sees Dib, Gaz, and Pepito running up to him. The griffin screeches and steps back.

            “Squee, get away from that thing!” Pepito orders.

            “Wait, stop!” Squee demands as he jumps to his feet and blocks the griffin. It screeches again, surprised, and lifts its talon.

            “Squee, look out!” Gaz warns.

            Squee immediately senses the danger. He twists his body and falls backwards to dodge, but he’s a few seconds too slow. The griffin’s claws rip through his jacket, his sweater, and his skin, leaving three large scratches on his arm.

            He screams as he falls into the snow, gripping his bleeding bicep. The griffin screeches again before racing off.

            “Squee!” Pepito exclaims. He falls to his knees next him and looks at his injury.

            “I told you that thing was dangerous!” Dib barks as he runs by.

            “No, Dib!” Squee shouts.

            “It’s going to pay for this,” Pepito snarls. He grabs his guitar from his back and wields it like a sword. Gaz does the same with her bat and they follow him.

            “No, guys! Stop!” Squee yells after them but it’s hopeless. They completely ignore him and leave him sitting in the snow.

            Zim soon catches up with him, hobbling like a penguin and huffing and puffing. He stops to catch his breath. “It’s so hard running in these pants,” he groans. He takes a deep breath and starts running again. “Wait up, guys!”

            “Zim!” Squee shouts and grabs onto him, stopping him in his tracks.

            “Squee! You’re hurt!” he exclaims.

            “Don’t worry about that! Listen to me!” he orders, “that creature, it’s not dangerous! It’s just scared! You have to make them stop attacking it before something terrible happens. Please, Zim.”

            Zim stares at him and his wide, desperate eyes and grunts affirmatively. His spider legs emerge from his PAK, tearing through his parka and lifting him off the ground.

            “Grab on,” he demands.

            Squee grabs onto one of the legs and holds on tight to a round joint. They start moving with incredible speed, but it’s a smooth ride. Squee doesn’t lurch around at all.

            Meanwhile, Dib, Pepito, and Gaz successfully corner the griffin by a large spruce tree. It screeches at them and stands over a small bush.

            “Don’t worry, beast. We’ll make it quick,” Dib says as they start to advance.

            “Stop!”

            They immediately freeze as Zim’s spider legs step over them and drop him and Squee between them and the griffin. Zim stands protectively while Squee tends to the creature.

            “Zim, what are you doing?” Dib asks, bewildered, “that thing is dangerous. We have to destroy it!”

            “It’s not dangerous!” Squee argues.

            “It attacked you!”

            “It didn’t mean to!”

            Squee kneels before the griffin, hands outstretched. “Right? You didn’t mean to hurt me. It’s okay. I forgive you.”  
            The griffin’s suspicious anger washes away and it looks at Squee with that same calm exhaustion. Squee reaches forward and gently rests his hand on its beak. It sighs as it leans into the touch.

            “You’re so stressed,” Squee states, “you must be tired of so many people bothering you. What are you trying to hide from them?”

            Zim, Dib, Gaz, and Pepito watch with awe and surprise as Squee sooths the monster. Pepito and Gaz even feel compelled to put their weapons away.

            The griffin lies down next to the bush and closes its eyes. Squee slowly lifts the leaves and peeks underneath. He covers his mouth and smiles.

            “Guys, come see this,” he says quietly, “but don’t make any sudden moves.”

            Zim is the first to approach. He peeks over Squee’s shoulder and gasps with surprise.

            Pepito and Gaz go next. They kneel next to Squee and take a look. Gaz’s eyes widen with surprise and Pepito coos, “aaww.”  
            Dib moves hesitantly, eyeing the griffin with suspicion. It doesn’t even glance at him. He peeks over everyone at what’s under the bush. What he sees makes his chest well up with guilt.

            It’s a sleeping mare with four little creatures next to it. They’re babies of some sort. They have the head and wings of birds and the rear end and tail of a horse.

            “Hippogriffs,” Dib breathes.

            “What?” Gaz questions.

            “They’re hippogriffs, creatures born from a mare and griffin,” he clarifies, “that’s why the griffin was near the farmer’s horses. One of them was its- his- mate. And they had babies. He was trying to protect them. He wasn’t trespassing. We were.”

            “What do we do now?” Pepito asks after a few seconds.

            “We have to find a way to protect them or hide them,” Squee replies.

            Zim stands up and reaches into his PAK. He pulls out four small, metal stakes with pink balls on the top. He hands one to Gaz, Pepito, and Dib.

            “Plant these in the ground around the immediate perimeter about five meters apart,” he orders. They nod and head out. Zim gives the last one to Squee. “Tap each of the creatures with the ball on top. It’ll scan their bio signature so they’ll be protected when in their nest.”

            Squee takes the object and does as he’s told. The griffin doesn’t mind in the least. He seems to trust Squee completely.

            Once he’s done, Zim takes the stake back. He motions for Squee to follow him and they walk a few feet away from the nest. He waits until Dib, Gaz, and Pepito return before planting his stake in the ground.

            The ball starts glowing pink. A large, pink force field expands from it and surrounds the area around the nest in a large circle. It suddenly turns transparent and the griffin and his family seem to disappear with it.

            “What?” Squee questions.

            “Those devices create a special sort of shield,” Zim explains, “the person whose bio signature it has scanned appears invisible whenever within the shield and are the only ones who can enter or exit the area. The griffin and his family will be safe within it.”

            “Cool,” Pepito comments.

            The kids stare at the area for a second before taking their leave. They exit the forest and get into Dib’s car, which he had parked on the side of the highway.

            Dib drives everyone home. He drops off Gaz first, then Zim, and then Pepito. The silence is awkward between him and Squee as they head to his house.    

            Dib parks the car at the curb in front of the house and Squee scratches his neck.

            “Uh thanks, Dib,” he says.

            “Sure,” Dib mutters.

            Squee gets out and he’s surprised when Dib does the same. He watches as he comes around the car and stands in front of him.

            “Squee, look um,” Dib says nervously, “I’m…I’m sorry about what I said before. I didn’t mean it. I was frustrated and I took it out on you. So I’m really sorry.”

            “Thank you, Dib,” Squee nods, “but you know I wasn’t particularly hurt by what you said. I’m more bothered by my own words than the words of others.”

            They stand there, awkward and silent for a minute.

            “Uh, Dib, do you wanna come inside?” Squee asks, “I um would like to share my thoughts with you.”

            “About what?” Dib questions.

            “Uh you.”

            Dib blinks with surprise before nodding. He follows Squee up the front walk and they go into the house.

            Johnny is sitting on the couch with Nugget. He glances at the boys before immediately jumping up. “Squee, you’re hurt!”

            “Oh, yeah,” Squee nods as he looks at his arm. “It’s just a scratch...or two or three.”

              “Come to the bathroom. I’ll clean it,” Johnny orders as he starts to head down the hall.

            Squee sighs and smiles apologetically at Dib. “Uh you can wait in the kitchen if you want. Help yourself to anything in the fridge.”

            Squee takes off his ruined jacket and follows Johnny to the bathroom. Dib stands awkwardly still for a second and looks around. He flinches when he catches Nugget staring at him from the couch.

            He hesitantly takes off his jacket and wet boots before making his way to the kitchen. He doesn’t bother checking the fridge. He’s almost scared of what he’d find in there. He just sits at the table and waits patiently.

            Squee comes back after a few minutes. His sweater’s gone and there’s gauze wrapped around his arm. He rests Shmee on the table top before sitting down. Dib takes quick notice of the fact that Johnny didn’t come back with him. He wonders where he is and decides it’s better he doesn’t know.

            The boys sit in awkward silence for a minute before Squee speaks up.

            “You know, Dib, you’re not bothered by what others think of you and I think that’s really cool,” he says with a small smile. “You don’t care if the whole class is sick of hearing your theories or if everyone makes fun of you for pursuing your passion. You keep doing it anyway. I really like that.”

            His smile disappears. “But you are bothered by what you think of you.”

            “I’m hardly in the place to judge someone on…er judging oneself. That’s one aspect the two of us have in common. We both want to be someone better. The only difference is I know I’m not that person while you uh…don’t.”

            “You have this vision of yourself in your head and you’re convinced you are that person. And when you realize you’re not, you lash out whether it’s by yelling at someone or making a device that could potentially kill you.”

            “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to change yourself. But you can’t do it all at once. If you rush towards your destination you’ll run out of breath and might not make it at all. You have to take it slow and enjoy the journey.”

            Dib stares at him with surprise before smiling. “You really are smart. No wonder Zim values your opinion.”

            Squee smiles bashfully.

            “And together!” Dib jumps to his feet and pulls Squee to his, wrapping his arm tightly around his shoulder. “With your heightened perception and my heightened brilliance, we’ll be the greatest paranormal investigative duo in history!”

            He deflates slowly and scratches his neck awkwardly. “You know I used to think that humans were the dominant species and supernatural creatures were all a threat to us and needed to be destroyed or captured. It never once occurred to me that this world is their home too. It was pretty ignorant of me.”

            Squee stares at him and the guilty look on his face. He smiles as he takes Dib’s arm off his shoulder. “Go home, Dib. Get some sleep. We have Skool tomorrow.”

            “Right,” Dib smiles.

            As he leaves the kitchen, he notices Johnny leaning against the hallway wall. He flinches when he glares down at him. He smiles nervously and nods at him before grabbing his coat and boots and scrambling through the front door.

            Squee stares after him with surprise before glaring at Johnny suspiciously. He just shrugs and walks away.

            Dib drives home quietly, contemplating his life and everything Squee said. He suddenly stops the car when he sees something disappear into an alley up ahead. He drives forward slowly and stops in front of the alley.

            He sees something crouched in the darkness. It looks like some kind of large animal but he knows it’s supernatural. A werewolf perhaps?

            His first instinct it to get out and investigate but he doesn’t. Instead he just smiles and continues driving.


	41. Fanatics 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Squee babysits a neighbour kid.

The Babysitting Debacle

 

            Squee and Colton stroll down the sidewalk on a chilly Saturday afternoon. Colton is carrying four big bags full of brand new books and has a big, goofy grin. Squee only has a small bag with two books and his grin is less goofy.

            “You have a book addiction, Colton,” Squee states.

            “Yeah, it’s a big problem,” he nods affirmatively, “but at least it’s not as bad as your notebook addiction.”

            “Hey, all of my notebooks are well-used to their fullest potential,” he scolds, “you haven’t even read all of the books in your room yet and you still buy more.”

            “I’ll get to it,” Colton insists, “besides my room isn’t nearly as full of books as yours is with notebooks.”

            They joke and laugh at each other like friends do as they enter Grave Road. They get ready to split off as they reach their houses when somebody suddenly calls Squee’s name. They turn around to their neighbor, Amanda, rushing across the road.

            “Squee,” she pants and smiles awkwardly. “Could I ask you to do a really big favour?”

            “What is it?” he asks.

            “Well, I have a date tonight,” she replies.

            “Way to go, Amanda!” Colton cheers.

            “Thank you, Colton,” she smiles, “anyway I don’t have anyone to watch Emily, so could you do it?”

            “You want me to babysit Emily?” Squee exclaims with surprise.

            “It’ll only be for a few hours, midnight at the latest,” she clarifies, “and of course I’ll pay you.”

            “Um I-I guess so,” he nods.

            “Oh thank you so much, Squee,” Amanda beams, “I’ll drop her off at your place around seven.”

            “Alright,” he smiles.

            She thanks him again before going back to her house. Squee maintains his smile until she’s gone, then his expression immediately changes to one of worry.

            “Ah, don’t worry,” Colton smiles and pats his arm. “You got this.”  
            Squee smiles uncertainly before sighing and going to his house.

           

            “She’s coming here?” Johnny exclaims, “why don’t you go to her house?”

            “It’ll be easier for me this way,” Squee points out as he cleans up the living room. “I know where everything is here.”  
            “But I don’t want Emily here,” he whines.

            “Don’t be childish,” Squee scolds, “Amanda says it’ll be until midnight at the latest. You’ll probably be downstairs anyway.”

            Johnny groans loudly and falls onto the couch next to Nugget who looks just as disgruntled.            

            The doorbell goes off. Squee quickly hurries to the door and opens it to Amanda and Emily. Amanda looks very pretty in a new dress and make-up. Emily looks excited with an armful of her favourite toys.

            Amanda and Johnny give each other their ritual glare before she focuses on Squee. “Thank you for doing this.”

            “It’s no problem,” he says, hoping it sounds more confident than he feels.

            “Have fun, Emily,” she smiles as she pats her little girl’s head.

            “Bye bye, Mom,” Emily sings. They wave to each other as Emily enters the house. Squee closes the door behind her and takes a deep breath.

            Emily looks around with amazement as she walks into the living room, dropping her winter gear along the way. Johnny and Nugget watch her, obvious annoyance on their faces.

            “Play nice,” Squee whispers harshly. Johnny growls and looks away. He’s always nice to Emily because she’s a sweet, little girl who deserves it. But she’s never been this deep into his territory before. It’s very unsettling.

            “Kitty!” Emily cheers and runs up to Nugget. She immediately hisses and races away.

          “Ah, sorry,” Squee says quickly, “Nugget’s not very nice. Hey, you uh you want some juice?”

            “Yeah,” Emily nods enthusiastically.

            Squee quickly runs into the kitchen and grabs a bottle of berry juice from the fridge, which he pours into a small glass. Meanwhile, Emily climbs up onto the couch next to Johnny. They look at each other and she smiles. Johnny is not amused.

            “I’m going downstairs,” he grunts as he stands up.

            Squee glares at him as he walks by and disappears through the basement door.

            “Ah, who needs those two?” Squee scoffs as he sits down, handing Emily her juice. “We can have fun without them.”

            “Yeah!” Emily cheers.

            “So what do you wanna do?” he asks.

            “Your bear!” she orders as she starts making grabby motions at the teddy bear on top of his head.

            “You…wanna see Shmee?” he questions nervously.

            “Yeah!” she nods.

            “No,” Shmee says firmly.

            “Um,” Squee murmurs hesitantly as he slowly takes Shmee off his head and hands him to her.

            “Oooooh,” Emily coos as she starts squeezing him. Though she can’t see it, there is an obvious expression of pure displeasure on Shmee’s face.

            Squee’s not doing much better. He nervously nibbles his nails as he watches Emily swing him around and pull on his arms.

            “O-okay, that’s enough,” he squeaks as he takes Shmee away then quickly clears his throat. “Um wanna watch some cartoons?”

            “Okay,” Emily nods.

            Squee smiles with relief and turns on the TV. He flips through the channels before Emily decides on a show: a brightly coloured cartoon that shoves lessons and morals down your throat and frankly makes Squee a little nauseous.

            He’s grateful when there’s a knock at the door. He quickly jumps up and answers it to Colton and his little sister, Kay.

            “Hey, bro,” Colton chimes, “my parents are gone for the night so I’m babysitting Kay. Aren’t I a good older brother?”

            Squee just rolls his eyes and smiles.

            “Anyway, we’re going to the store to get some treats. You guys wanna come?” he asks.

            “Yeah, candy!” Emily cheers as she runs over.

            “Ah, jeez. I don’t know,” Squee says uncertainly, “I think Amanda would prefer it if we stayed here.”

            “Aw, come on,” Colton urges, “we’ll only be gone for like twenty minutes.”  
            “Please, Squee,” Emily begs, shooting him her biggest puppy dog eyes.

            “Alright,” he sighs.

            “Yay!” she cheers.

            “Put your jacket on,” Squee orders as he turns off the TV. “I’ll be right there.”

            He grabs some money from the top drawer of the end table and radios Johnny. “Nny, we’re going to the store for some snacks. We’ll be right back.”

            “K,” Johnny replies plainly.

            Squee quickly puts on his winter gear and leaves with Colton, Emily, and Kay. The girls are really excited. They skip ahead, giggling and chirping like squirrels. Colton and Squee follow along contently, chatting about games and books and other nerd stuff.

            It’s a wintry evening so it’s pretty dark, the streetlamps being the only thing lighting their way. Nobody’s really nervous though. They’ve all walked this path many times.

            Which is why it’s so easy for Squee to sense the change in atmosphere.

            Nobody else notices it but that’s to be expected. And Squee prefers it that way. They don’t need to have their peace of mind ruined so quickly.

            “Squee,” Shmee warns.

            “Yeah,” Squee grunts. He glances around without turning his head, eyes narrowed.

            “What?” Colton questions.

            “Nothing,” he replies curtly. He rests his hand on his bag, which holds his bombs and knives. Would he be able to fight effectively? For the sake of protecting his friends, he just might.

            They turn a corner and spot the convenience store down the street, lit up like Heaven’s gates. Squee starts to relax, thinking they might make it before something bad happens.

            And that’s when something bad happens.

            Two large men in all black burst from the shadows up ahead. Emily and Kay scream and try to scurry away but they grab them and hold them up.

            “Kay!” Colton exclaims. He doesn’t have time to help because a third person appears behind him. Colton tries to run but he’s grabbed tight by his arms.

            Squee watches the scene with surprise before immediately sensing the danger behind him. He ducks just in time as a fourth assailant tries to grab him.

            Squee dodges every attempt of capture with ease, causing his attacker to stumble around like a fool. This goes on for a bit until the other three, who have successfully bound and gagged Colton and the girls, rush over to help.

            They scramble for Squee but they’re hardly a challenge. Two of them rush at him from either side. He jumps out of the way at the last second and they slam into each other face first. The third one swings at him but Squee dodges each time, dancing between his hands before ducking underneath him and tripping him into the wall.

            Squee turns to face the fourth one who is charging towards him. He gets ready to dodge him when suddenly one of the first three on the ground grabs his ankle. Squee gasps as he loses his balance and falls back. He hits the ground hard, his head bouncing off the pavement.

            Stars cloud his vision as the four men rush forward and hold him down. Even in his dazed state, Squee knows he’s in deep trouble. He opens his mouth to call for Shmee, but one of the attackers gags him with a cloth, stifling his shout.

            Squee tries to struggle as they tie him up. Any other time, he’d be so squirmy they wouldn’t be able to keep a hold on him. But that blow to the head slowed him down a bit. They successfully bind his arms and legs and one of them throws him over his shoulder.

            The last thing Squee sees is Shmee lying in the road before he’s thrown into a dark, windowless van with the rest of his friends.

 

            Johnny watches the girl scream with pure terror as the buzz saw gets closer and closer to her face. He’s not really all that interested. It’s like watching a rerun of a favourite show. He knows how it’s going to end but he watches anyway.

            She’s suddenly saved when he hears the echo of the doorbell bouncing off the walls. He sighs with annoyance and shuts off the buzz saw. The girl whimpers with relief.

            “I’ll be back,” Johnny warns as he leaves her strapped to the metal chair and starts running upstairs.

            He enters the house through the basement door and sees Tenna sitting on the couch, comfortably watching TV, and Devi opening the door to Amanda.

            “When did you two get here?” Johnny asks.

            “Like an hour ago,” Tenna replies.

            “And you just made yourselves comfortable?”

            “Of course.”

            Johnny groans and rubs his face. “And what do you want, Amanda?”

            “My kid, obviously,” she states, “where is she?”

            “Huh?” Johnny questions, “oh, right. She and Squee went to the store. Actually now that I think about, that might’ve been a long time ago.”

            “Johnny!” Amanda and Devi snap.

            “Calm down,” he orders as he walks to the phone. “I’m sure they’re fine. Let me just call Squee.”

            He dials Squee’s cell number and puts the receiver to his ear. It doesn’t ring. Instead it immediately goes to voicemail.

            “Voicemail?” Johnny questions as he hangs up. “Okay, something might be wrong.”  
            “Oh no,” Amanda moans.

            “The kids are missing?” Devi exclaims, “we-we should call the cops.”

            “They don’t come to Grave Road anymore,” Johnny scoffs, “we’ll have to find them ourselves.”

            “Woo, mystery hunt!” Tenna cheers.

            “That’s crazy,” Devi points out.

            “No, Johnny’s right,” Amanda argues.

            “But how do we find them?” she asks.

            “The store would be a good place to start,” Johnny replies.

            While they’re conversing, none of them notice Nugget slip through the open door until she’s halfway through the yard. Johnny peeks around Amanda and watches her run down the road to Shane and Sage’s house.

            “Nugget, what are you doing?” he asks as he starts going after her.

            She ignores him and runs into Shane and Sage’s backyard, where their dog, Bizner, lives.

            “Forget her, Johnny,” Amanda demands, “we have to find the kids. Come on.”

            Johnny starts to listen and turns to leave but stops when Bizner suddenly starts barking. He spins around, worried for a second, not for Nugget but for the dog. She could totally tear his snout off but he’s a good dog and doesn’t deserve that.

            His worry dissolves into surprise when he sees Bizner, free of his chain, running by with Nugget riding on his back.

            He stares after them for a second before he gets an idea and runs after them.

            “Follow them!” he calls to Amanda, Devi, and Tenna as he runs by. They stare at him with bewilderment.

            “Hey, what’s going on?” Sage asks as she and Shane join the group.

            “Um the kids are missing and I think Johnny’s cat and your dog just teamed up,” Tenna replies.

            “Oh…okay,” she says with surprise.

            “Come on,” Amanda orders and chases after them. Everyone else follows close behind.

           

            Emily and Kay whimper fearfully. Colton is quiet with a surprised look on his face. Squee sits in front of all of them protectively, glaring at their captors as they ogle them.          

            “The little girls will definitely get a nice price,” the one known as Bill snickers.

            “This annoying one is lean,” the guy named Steven says, nodding towards Squee. “He’ll get a good price too.”

            “What about that other one?” the third one called Rick asks, “I doubt anyone would want him for his body.”

            “Maybe his organs,” Bill suggests and they all share a laugh.

            “Would you guys quit goofing off and put them under already?” the leader, Ted, orders as he starts the van.

            “Alright, alright,” Steven nods. He grabs an unlabeled bottle and some sort of respirator mask with a bottle attached to it from his bag.

            Squee suddenly gets a really bad idea as Steven pours liquid from the first bottle into the mask. Before he has time to think, he leans back and kicks the bottle out of his hand with his bound legs.

            Everybody gasps as it flies through the air, spilling liquid all over the floor of the van. The fumes take effect immediately, making everybody extremely drowsy.

            “You…little…brat,” Steven pants and lifts his hand, threatening to smack Squee.

            “Forget it,” Ted snaps drowsily. “Let’s just go.”

            He starts the van and starts to drive away. But he’s slow and swerves a lot as he tries to keep his eyelids open.

            Kay and Emily are the first to pass out. Bill soon follows. Colton and Squee do their very best to stay awake as they focus on undoing their restraints. Rick and Steven try to keep an eye on them, but they’re nearly comatose. Ted just barely manages to stay awake enough to drive.

            Squee tugs at the ropes around his wrists, trying to remember what Johnny taught him about escaping handcuffs. Ropes should be easier than that. But in his dreary state, he’s having a hard time remembering.

            They drive through the dark streets for who knows how long, with all the windows open. Pretty soon the fumes dissipate and the effects start to wear off. The more awake Ted gets, the better his driving gets and they start going faster and faster. Squee looks around quickly, trying to think of another way to slow them down. Even if he can’t escape, he can at least make it easier for them to be found.

 

            The Grave Road residents race down the streets to the convenience store, following Bizner and Nugget by a few feet. They don’t stop until they reach the final road leading to the store, when Bizner slows down and starts sniffing around. He stops at a small mound in the snow and starts pawing at it. Nugget hops off of him and pushes him away before sitting patiently and waiting for Johnny.

            The grownups pant as they reach the destination. Everyone else leans against a building to catch their breath, but Johnny kneels down next to Nugget.

            “What’d you find?” he asks as he brushes away the snow to reveal a stitched-up teddy bear.

            “Shmee!” he exclaims as he picks up. His mood changes in a snap as his face drops into an angry, bone chilling glare. “The kids aren’t just missing. They were taken.”

            “What makes you say that?” Shane asks.

            “It’s would be the only good reason why Shmee isn’t with Squee,” Johnny replies.

            “What are we going to do?” Amanda asks worriedly.

            “Find them,” he snarls.

            He gives Bizner and Nugget quick pats on the head before holding Shmee to their noses. They give the bear a quick sniff. Nugget immediately hisses angrily and hops onto Bizner’s back. The dog barks and races off towards a dark alley.

            Johnny and the others follow him and immediately spot tire tracks in the snow.

            “Kidnappers?” Sage questions.

            “Somebody’s getting their teeth kicked in tonight,” Devi snarls as she cracks her knuckles.

            “If they’ve done anything to Squee, they’ll be wishing they just got their teeth kicked in,” Johnny growls, his face dark.

           

            BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

            Ted flinches angrily as the sound resonates through the van. He squeezes the steering wheel and shouts, “would somebody shut that kid up!”

            Squee slams against the wall of the van for the hundredth time that hour. Bill, Steven, and Rick try to grab him and hold him down, but he keeps squirming out of their grip and continues his racket. Colton, Kay, and Emily watch from the sidelines, silent and wide eyed.

            “Is he made of butter?” Steven exclaims as Squee once again wiggles out of his arms like a little worm.

            “Why can’t we just knock him out?” Bill asks.

            “We spilt the chemicals, remember,” Rick replies.

            “So? There are other methods we can use,” he smirks.

            “Don’t you dare,” Ted snaps, “if there is any damage our pay gets cut. Besides, it doesn’t matter anymore. We’ve reached the meeting spot.”

            Squee freezes as the van comes to a stop in an empty parking garage. His heart starts pounding with worry. He’s got to find a way to escape before it’s too late.

            He starts thrashing around some more as he tries to tear his hands out of the ropes, but they just won’t loosen. Bill, Steven, and Rick try to grab him and hold him, shouting directions to each other. Squee wiggles beneath their hands, worry and panic starting to take over.

            Everybody freezes at a knocking at the backdoor.

            “That must be the guy,” Ted says.

            Squee, Colton, Kay, and Emily sweat nervously as Bill opens the door.

            A little, brown cat suddenly flies in and attaches itself to Bill’s face.

            “Aaaahhh, what is it!” he screams as he tears it off.

            “It’s a rat!” Rick shouts, “kill it!”  
            A large, angry dog jumps into the van, barking and snarling as it starts snapping at the men. They scream and try to scramble away from the attacking animals by crowding in the front seat.

            Squee, Colton, Kay, and Emily watch it all with wide, surprised eyes.

            “Squee!” He turns around and beams when he sees Johnny rushing towards them. He starts bouncing excitedly and attempting to call his name through his gag.

            Johnny reaches him right away and immediately unties his hands. Squee removes his gag and falls into him, hugging him tight. “Johnny!”

            Nny smiles and hugs him back. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

            “How did you find us?” Squee asks as he moves away.

            “It wasn’t that hard,” he replies as he starts untying his ankles. “Just a lot of running.”

            His point is made when Devi, Tenna, Amanda, Shane, and Sage finally catch up, panting and sweating.

            “Emily!” Amanda exclaims and rushes forward.

            “Mommy!” Emily cries happily as Johnny unties her. She jumps out of the van and into her mom’s arm and they hug happily.

            Johnny quickly unties Colton and Kay. They both sigh with relief as they rub their wrists and hop out of the van.

            With the kids free, Johnny’s worry can safely change to anger. He growls and focuses his attention on the assholes in the front seat, cowering from the hissing cat and snarling dog.

            He stands up and starts to march towards them, when the van suddenly accelerates. Johnny lurches and loses his balance, falling right out the door and hitting the ground.

            Bizner and Nugget whimper with confusion when the van starts moving. They forget the captors and race out the backdoor. They land next to Johnny as he sits up, rubbing his head. He snarls and glares at the van as it races away.

            “They got away,” Devi says.

            Johnny growls in response as he stands up. He glances at Squee, who’s happily hugging Nugget, and sighs.

            “Well, at least the kids are safe,” he says and pats Squee on the head before handing him Shmee. Squee beams happily and hugs his bear.

            Devi and Tenna smile.

            “You guys aren’t hurt anywhere, are you?” Sage asks worriedly.

            “Nah, just a bit of rope burn,” Colton replies.

            “Your wrists are more cut up than the others,” Johnny observes as he checks Squee’s arms. “You were trying to escape.”

            “Of course,” Squee shrugs.

            “Squee was awesome!” Emily cheers.

            “He was so brave!” Kay chimes.

            “Yeah! He was giving those guys such a hard time,” Colton laughs, “they didn’t stand a chance.”

            Squee chuckles with embarrassment and rubs his arm. “I-I wasn’t that great. Uh but don’t worry though. I keep a first aid kit in my…bag…”

            He reaches for his bag, which is usually hanging by his right hip, but is gone. He spins around frantically but sees it nowhere in sight.

            “Oh no!” he exclaims, growing more and more hysterical with worry. “My notebooks! My bombs!! My knives!!!”

            Meanwhile, a few blocks away in an old, seedy apartment building, Ted, Bill, Steven, and Rick enter their room and groan as they collapse at their kitchen table.

            “Man, tonight sucked,” Rick comments.

            “Yeah. At this rate we won’t have enough to make rent this month,” Steven sighs.

            “At least we didn’t come out of it empty handed,” Bill points out as he rests a dark purple tote bag with a cute skull design on the table top. “I got that annoying kid’s bag. Maybe he’s got some stuff in here we can sell for food.”

            “What would a teenager be carrying around that we could sell?” Ted scoffs.

            Bill digs around in it for a second before pulling out two large knives. “Whoa, cool,” he grins.

            “He’s got weapons?” Rick exclaims, “what else is there?”

           “Looks like just a bunch of books,” Bill replies as he starts shuffling it around. “They’re all full. Why would he carry around full notebooks? Oh, wait, here’s something.”

            He pulls out a small, round object with a big smiley face painted on it and some sort of metal lever sticking out the top. “What do you think it is?”

            “Let me see,” Steven orders and takes it from him. “Almost looks like a…grenade?”

            There’s a sudden loud scratching at their door. They look at it fearfully, nobody moving.

            The door suddenly flies off its hinges and smashes into the opposite wall. The guys whimper fearfully as the dog and cat from before jump in, followed by those kids, a lanky, scary man, and a bunch of other people.

            “Why did you come back? What do you want?” Ted snaps.

            Squee flinches when he sees Rick holding his knives and Bill’s hands inside his bag.

            “Stop!” he squeals and rushes forward. “Put those down! Get your hands out of there! Stop messing with my things!”

            They jump back as Squee grabs his knives and bag and clutches them safely to his chest.

            “Is everything there?” Johnny asks as he walks up beside him.

            “I think so,” Squee replies as he looks through his bag.

            “Not quite,” Shmee warns.

            Squee looks up and sees Steven fiddling with a Smiley Bomb.

            “Hey, don’t play with that!” Squee snaps and starts to rush forward just as Steven squeezes the trigger.

            Johnny wraps his arm around Squee’s chest, picking him up, and rushes for the door. Everyone else follows suit, understanding something bad is going to happen. Amanda picks up Emily and Colton grabs Kay.

            They rush out of the apartment just as Steven pulls the trigger out of the bomb. They just barely make it out of the building before it goes off.

            Everyone pants from fear and adrenaline as the fire engulfs the structure. Dozens of people rush out in panic. None of them are their captors.

            “How come everything we do together ends in a fiery explosion?” Shane asks.

            Nobody answers.

            They turn and leave quietly as sirens sound in the distance.

            The walk back to Grave Road is long, quiet, and kind of cold. Emily and Kay fall asleep on the way. Amanda and Colton carry them back like the good mother and brother they are.

            “So we’re not going to report the multiple crimes we witnessed today?” Sage asks as they reach their street.

            “No,” everyone replies.

            “That’s cool. I was just checking,” she says quickly.

            “Look, as far as the rest of the world is concerned, tonight never happened. Agreed?” Johnny asks.

            “Agreed,” everyone nods.

            “I’ll make sure Kay doesn’t tell our parents,” Colton adds.

            “Great. I’m going to bed,” Shane grunts as he, Sage, and Bizner head to their house.

            “Amanda, I’m really sorry,” Squee sighs, “I guess I was a pretty bad babysitter.”

            “Actually, I think you did a pretty good job,” Amanda argues, “you may have gotten into a bunch of trouble, but you did your best to keep her safe. That sounds like a good babysitter to me.”

            Squee smiles gratefully.

            “I’ll pay you tomorrow morning,” she promises as she walks to her house. Squee nods and waves her goodnight.

            Colton nudges his shoulder and smirks, “told you you’d do a good job.”

            Squee laughs and nudges him back.

            “Right, I gotta get to bed,” Colton yawns, “see you in like twenty-four hours.”

            “Night,” Squee waves as he walks up to his house.            

            “We’re gonna go too,” Devi says as she and Tenna head to her car. “See you guys tomorrow.”

            Johnny and Squee wave at them as they drive away. Then they look at each other before heading up to their house to spend the rest of the night relaxing, comfortable and safe from danger.


	42. Fanatics 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A young Johnny continues his work.

Fragments of a Past Reality: Despicable Weapons

 

           A tired Johnny C hopped out of the car and led his partners, Carson and Suzuki, up to an old, seedy hotel. He stopped in front of the right door- double checking first because he’s made that mistake in the past- and kicked it down.

            The target knew who they were immediately. She jumped out of her chair and scrambled to the back of the room. Johnny stalked after her as he pulled out his knife.

            She reached whatever she was going for and spins around, handgun at the ready. Johnny froze as she started to squeeze the trigger, ready to dodge.

            He flinched when a gunshot fired behind him. The bullet whizzed past him and into the wall a few inches away from the target’s face. She screamed and jumped back.

            Johnny looked back and glared at Carson and the gun in his hand. He whimpered and lowered it.   

            Johnny growled with annoyance as he turned back around and faced the target. She lifted her gun and prepared to fire again but Johnny struck faster. He raced across the room and grabbed her arm. She screamed as he twisted it, popping it out of its socket.

            Before she even had a chance to comprehend anything, he lifted his knife and stabbed it right through her neck. Then he yanked it out, cutting her head halfway off.

            He let go of her arm and she fell to the floor in a bloody pile. He turned and walked away, wiping his knife with a cloth before sticking it back in his jacket.

            Suzuki called Mussolini to prepare a cleanup crew while Carson followed Johnny back to the car. Halfway there, Johnny suddenly grabbed him by the front of his shirt and slammed him into the wall.

            “How many times have I told not to use your gun unless absolutely necessary?” he snapped.

            “Um a-a lot,” Carson replied sheepishly.

            “Then why won’t you listen?” he barked as he started shaking him.

            “But-but she had a gun!” Carson pointed out.

            “She didn’t even fire it!” Johnny shouted with frustration. “Jeez, it’s like you want me to kill you. Is that what you want, Carson? Because I can make that happen.”

            Suzuki’s hand suddenly slipped between them and Johnny looked at her with annoyed curiosity.

            “Johnny, stop,” she scolded, “you know Carson is extra cautious. It is not his fault. Let it go.”

            Johnny snarled. He slammed Carson against the wall once more before letting him and heading back to the car. “Take me home.”

            Carson and Suzuki caught up with him and they climbed into the car together. Carson started it and they drove off.

            “Uh, Johnny,” he said, “I’ve been curious for a while now. Why…do you hate guns?”

            “They’re disgusting, impersonal, loud, despicable weapons,” Johnny replied plainly.

            “But-but why do you think that way?” Carson asked, “I thought a professional killer would prefer guns over knives since they’re faster.”

            “We’ve been over this,” Johnny hisses, “you’re free to use whatever weapons you want. I hate guns; I like knives. Get over it.”

            They arrived at their apartment. Johnny slammed the car door as he got out and stomped into the building. He unlocked their door and went straight to his bedroom to spend the rest of the day on his bed in the dark without any hope of getting any sleep.

 

            Being a hitman wasn’t an everyday job. Not everyone was stupid enough to not pay their debts to Mussolini. Johnny, Carson, and Suzuki could go weeks before getting another job. But they always made enough money from each previous job to not have to worry about bills or food during those slow periods.

            On days off Johnny would usually spend his time in his room, doing absolutely nothing. Just lying on his bed in a growing pit of self-pity and depression.

            It’s not like he didn’t try to get over this, because he did. Some days he would get up and try to do something productive like shopping or even spending time with his roommates. But he hated it. He hated everything. And it was exhausting.

            He was angry most of the time and he usually took it out on Carson, less often Suzuki. The only times he wasn’t pissed off was when he would go to Granny Cammie’s place in L.A. But then he was just depressed for a few hours. And as soon as he came home, he’d be angry again.

            It was hardly a healthy life. Especially since he rarely ate and slept. So why didn’t he just end it?

            Johnny considered it many times. It would be easy, with all the weapons they have. So why didn’t he just do it? Maybe because some small part of him, deep down inside, felt there was a reason to keep living. Maybe it was hopeful for the future.

            He wasn’t sure where this part was and why it was so deluded.

            But maybe it had point. Maybe there was hope for future. He wouldn’t know if he just gave up. So he kept going. Despite hating every aspect of his life, despite not taking care of himself at all, he kept going.

 

            The jobs were easy enough. Find the punk who didn’t pay their debts and kill them. There were rarely complications. Occasionally the target would fight back and even hurt somebody. If they were lucky, that person would be Johnny. But that rarely happened or rarely slowed him down. He would always finish a job.

            That was until he got one particular project, after nearly a year as a hitman.

            The job seemed normal enough. Some middle-aged man borrowed some money from Mussolini, promised to pay it back but never did, and missed his two strikes. Now it was time for Johnny- and Carson and Suzuki- to step in.

            They pulled up outside the ratty apartment building- it was always apartments or hotels, never houses- and got out of the car. They entered and went straight up to the listed room. As usual, Johnny kicked down the door and immediately caught sight of the target.

            He was sitting in an easy chair but immediately jumped to his feet when Johnny announced himself. He looked surprised and terrified. He didn’t scramble for a weapon, just stood still.

            “Good,” Johnny thought, “this job will be easy.”

            He started to reach for his knife when a small voice sounded from the hallway.

            “Daddy? What’s going on?”

            Johnny froze immediately.

            “Stay in your room, Penny,” the victim ordered.

            “What was that noise?” A little girl in a nightgown stepped into the room, rubbing her eyes. Johnny blanched at the sight of her.

            “It-it’s nothing,” the father said quickly. “Just go back to bed.”

            “Who are those people?” she asked as she rushed to her dad’s side, gripping his leg.

            “They’re…they’re nobody,” he replied as he patted her head. “Just go back to bed.”

            Johnny stared at the two of them, hand inches from his knife handle. He could do it quickly. One quick swipe and the victim’s head could be clear across the room. But the sight just froze him in place.

            The girl was on the verge of tears. The target spoke loving words, trying to calm her down. He wasn’t worried about being killed. He just wanted to make her feel better.

            Johnny lowered his hand, his shoulders slumping and face dropping from his usual angry scowl to an exhausted, sad expression. The target looked at him with surprise as he turned away and walked back to the door.

            “J-Johnny? What are you doing?” Carson asked.

            Johnny didn’t reply as he shoved past him and trudged down the hallway. He didn’t bother waiting for them at the car. He just kept walking, head down and hands in his pockets.

            He made it back to the apartment after Carson and Suzuki. They were standing in the living room talking about something when he walked in. They looked at him with surprise and he just stared back with tired eyes before heading to his bedroom.

            “Johnny, wait!” Carson snapped.

            He stopped but didn’t turn around.

            “What was that back there?” he asked, “why didn’t you kill him?”

            Johnny didn’t reply.

           “Was it because of the girl? We’ve killed lots of parents before. If you read up on the victims’ backgrounds, you would know that.”

            “Not ones like that,” Johnny argued quietly, “he was a…good person.”

            “Oh, what, so suddenly you have morals?” Carson scoffed.

            Johnny growled and glared at him. Carson whimpered and deflated like a popped balloon.

            Johnny sighed and looked away, too exhausted to be angry. “What did you do to him?”

            “We didn’t kill him,” Suzuki replied.

            “You didn’t? Why not?” he asked.

            “We were so surprised, we just left,” she shrugged.

            “This isn’t good,” Carson moaned, “when Mr. Mussolini finds out we didn’t finish the job, he’ll be very angry. You don’t anger Mr. Mussolini. And I’m sure the target is long gone by now. We’ll never find him.”

            “If you’re so scared, then why don’t you just run away?” Johnny asked.

            “You can’t escape Mr. Mussolini,” he replied fearfully, “he’ll always find you. Always.”

            “Then blame it on me,” he said, “tell him it was my fault. I’m not scared of Mussolini.”

            “But-.” Carson started to argue but Johnny cut him off.

            “I’m going to bed,” he grunted as he walked into his bedroom. He closed the door and collapsed face first on the bed for yet another night of no sleep.

 

            There was a loud crash in the middle of the night, disturbing Johnny’s aimless staring-into-the-darkness. He jumped to his feet and quickly ran into the hallway, because he knew that sound well.

            Their door had just been knocked down.

            Suzuki and Carson were already in the living room. Both of them were trembling. Johnny realized why when he joined them.

            Standing in their doorway was Mussolini and six well-built men all carrying guns. And Mussolini looked pissed.

            “My sources tell me James Clarkson- the victim from you latest job- is alive and just left the city,” he said with a calm voice. “Why is he not dead?”

            “It was my fault,” Johnny replied immediately, “I didn’t want to kill him. He didn’t deserve it.”

            “It doesn’t matter whether you think he ‘deserved it’ or not,” Mussolini growled, “I gave you a job and you’re supposed to finish that job without complaint.”

            “And I didn’t,” he stated, “what are you going to do about, Mussolini?”

            They glared at each, their anger and hatred practically radiating off of them.

            “Sir, please,” Suzuki said quickly, stepping between the two. “It wasn’t just Johnny’s fault. It was mine too.”

            “Suzuki!” Johnny snapped.

            “Suzu,” Carson whimpered.

            “We could’ve killed him but we didn’t,” Suzuki explained, ignoring them both. “We understand our mistake and will repent for it. And we promise we won’t make it again.”

            “I know you won’t,” Mussolini nodded.

            He snapped his fingers and the man to his immediate right raised his gun and fired.

            Nobody realized what was happening until it happened. Johnny didn’t even have time to react to the loud shot before he saw the blood flying past his face. And the next thing he knew, Suzuki was lying at his feet, eyes wide and a small hole in her forehead.

            Johnny turned whiter than he already was. He started trembling, his eyes widening as he stared at her body.

            Everything else was a blur. He had grabbed his knife and rushed forward, slicing through the first two bodyguards like butter. The others tried to react but were too slow. He cut through them violently and messily, blood splattering all over the walls and himself.

            Mussolini was pressed against the opposite wall of the hallway, quivering with fear. He had a gun in his hand. He tried to raise it but Johnny was on him first.

            He cut and cut and cut. He didn’t kill him. He just made him bleed and scream. Blood flew every which way, like a hurricane of red.

            But at some point, somehow, Mussolini managed to raise his gun and fire.

            The knife flies out his hand as the force of the shot causes Johnny to stumble back into the apartment. He falls through the doorway, blood once again spraying past his face but this time from a different angle.

            He’s dead before he hits the floor.


	43. Fanatics 30.5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this special chapter, Granny Cammie receives some distressing news.

Fragments of a Past Reality: Granny’s Loss

 

            I was just moving into my new house when I got the call. See, my father had died recently and I quite a substantial inheritance in his will. I was able to retire and buy a large acreage out in the middle of nowhere, quite literally. The house was old and ratty; I would spend the next few years fixing it up.

            All of my possessions were boxed up and sitting in the doorway. I had just plugged in my landline when it started ringing.

            “Hello?” I answered.

            “Is this Cammie Charmer?” a professional male voice asked.

            “Yes,” I replied.

            “The emergency contact of Johnny C?”  
            “Yes,” I replied again, much more worriedly.

            “I’m afraid I have some very bad news.”

            With the news I received, I was glad I had to sit because if I had been standing I definitely would’ve collapsed.

            I rushed to the Nameless City in my car as fast as I could. Despite having only one leg, I was quite the able driver.

            I followed the caller’s directions to a morgue and rushed inside. I told the coroner who I was and he led me to where the bodies were kept. Inside were rows and rows of drawers and in the middle of the room were two tables, both holding sheet-covered mounds. In between the tables sat a man, but I didn’t pay too much attention to him as I followed the coroner to the farther table.

            He didn’t lift the sheet right away. He waited patiently as I sat there and stared at the mound underneath.

            “I wanna see him,” I said plainly.

            He nodded and lifted the sheet just off his head. I couldn’t quite see him from my angle so I grabbed my cane- which is always at my side- and hoisted myself up, supporting myself on only it and my left leg.

            From here I could see him perfectly. He looked pale and drained but peaceful. Almost like he was sleeping. It was the calmest I had ever seen him.

            The only thing that ruined it was the small, bloody hole in the middle of his forehead, the exact size of a bullet.

            I gripped my cane as I started trembling with anger. “Who did it?”

            “You may wanna ask him that,” the coroner replied, nodding to the man sitting in between the tables before leaving the room. He glanced at me. His eyes were bloodshot, like he had been crying.

            “Who are you?” I asked.

            “Carson,” he replied as he stood up. His voice sounded hoarse. “I was Johnny’s roommate and partner.”

            “Oh, yeah,” I nodded, “he told me about you.”

            “He wasn’t the only one who was killed,” he pointed out, “our other roommate, Suzuki, was too.”

            “What happened?” I ask.

            “She was shot,” he explained, “and Johnny attacked the gunman, wanting to get revenge. But he ended up getting shot too.”

            “He wanted revenge?” I question, “then the other guy should definitely be dead.”

            Carson looked away, an expression of what I think was shame on his face.

            “Who attacked them?” I ask.

            He didn’t answer.

            I dropped the subject and looked back at Johnny. The last time I saw him, he looked so sad and pained. Now he looks so calm but for such a terrible reason.

            “Um,” Carson croaked, “Johnny never spoke of any family members. Who are you?”

            I let go of my cane, gripping the table for support, and gently ran my hand through Nny’s bangs. “I was his granny.”

            I stayed there for a long time, long after Carson left, just standing there stroking Nny’s hair.

            Eventually the coroner came in and explained that no funeral arrangements were made for him. I told him we’ll have a simple burial, I’d pay for it all.           

            I left soon after that. The burial was to take place the upcoming weekend, in four days.

            I stayed in a nice hotel, not too cheap not too expensive. I didn’t leave the room much. There was nothing I wanted to see.

            It was the morning of the burial when I received another call. This time it was from a police officer. He told me to come to the morgue right away. I rushed over.

            When I got there, the room was crowded with a bunch of people: the coroner, two cops, Carson, and three people I had never seen before. Two of them were well-built and well dressed. The third was covered in bandages, in a wheelchair, and looked really angry.

            “This is impossible!” he barked, “a body doesn’t just disappear!”

            “Excuse me,” I said, “what’s going on?”

            I was ushered out of the room by the coroner and cop. He took off his hat as he knelt down to speak to me.

            “Johnny C has gone missing.”

            Again, I was glad I had to sit because I definitely would’ve collapsed.

            “What? But-but how?” I asked.

            “We’re not sure,” he replied.

            “Everything was fine last night,” the coroner explained, “he was in his drawer, just like everyone else. But when I checked this morning, he was gone.”

            “There was no signs of forced entry and we can’t find any evidence of any intruder anywhere,” the cop added, “it’s like he just…disappeared.”

            I was speechless. I just stared off into space, my mouth hanging open.

            “This is an outrage!” the bandaged man shouted as his associates wheeled him past me, Carson following like a whipped dog. “I want him found, you understand me? I want him found and burned in flames hotter than Hell’s!”

            I glared at his back as he left. I don’t know who he was, but I knew he was trouble.

            The search lasted over three months. I stayed in the city the entire time, keeping up with the news. But nothing was found, not even a scrap of evidence.

            After the search was called off, I still stayed just in case something turned up. But nothing ever did. Eventually I returned home, to my new house with all of my boxed up possessions.

            To this day I have no idea what happened to Johnny. I’m sure he’s dead. He has to be. I saw his body with the bullet hole.

            But deep down I believe he’s alive. Somehow he survived or revived or something and he’s alive. I smother this part because I hate false hope.

            But if it’s true, if he is alive, I hope he’s happy. I know he did lots of bad things, but he’s not a bad person. He deserves to be happy. And I hope someday, I’ll meet up with him again.


	44. Fanatics 31.1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Squee and his friends discover a terrifying secret in their neighbourhood.

House of Monsters Part One

 

            Squee and Colton stretch out on Colton’s couch as a show plays on the TV, but neither of them is paying much attention to it. Squee is working on a story in one of his notebooks and Colton is reading a comic book.

            To their left stands Carmen, hands on her hips and a judgemental stare on her face. But they don’t pay her any mind.

            Pretty soon she gets fed up and throws her hands in air. “Come on, guys. Let’s go outside. Let’s do something.”

            “Why?” Squee asks without looking up from his book.

            “What do you mean ‘why’?” Carmen questions, “what else are we going to do?”

            “Stay inside,” Colton replies.

            “But outside is better,” she argues.

            “Believe me, Carmen,” Squee says, “no good ever comes from going outside.”

            “Man,” she groans, “that’s the problem with you introverts. Is Pepito coming? I need another extrovert here.”

            “He said he will; he just has to finish a bunch of chores,” he replies, “might take a while.”

            “How long is a while?” she asks.

            “Don’t know,” Squee shrugs, “he insists on doing all of the housework when his mom’s home. He doesn’t want her lifting a finger on her days off.”

            “He’s such a momma’s boy,” Colton scoffs.

            They grow silent as they quickly go back to doing their own thing. Carmen watches them, getting even more impatient. She taps her foot incessantly and groans with annoyance, but the boys aren’t bothered. Not until she grabs them by the back of their shirts and tugs them to their feet.

            “What are you doing?” Colton exclaims.

            “We’re going outside,” she orders as she drags them to the door.

            “Why?” Squee whines.

            “To meet new people and experience life.”

            “Neither of those sounds enjoyable.”

            In the end Carmen wins and they put on their jackets and go outside. It’s a nice winter day. The sun is making the snow sparkle and there’s a slight, comfortable chill in the air.

            Carmen stretches her arms to the sky and takes a deep breath. Squee and Colton groan with annoyance behind her.

            “So,” she booms as she faces them. “What do you guys wanna do?”

            “Go back inside,” Colton replies.

            “Other than that,” she grunts and looks around. “We still gotta wait for Pepito so we can’t go too far. Is there anything worth doing here?”

             “Not really,” Squee replies as he takes Shmee out of his bag and sets him up on his head. “We try to be pretty quiet here. Try to be.”

            Carmen spots house 779 and smiles, “hey, Squee. Didn’t you say the owner of that house hasn’t been seen in over four years?”

            “Huh? Oh, yeah, Old Man Cletus,” Squee nods, “nobody’s ever seen him, not even Johnny or Amanda and they’ve been here the longest.”

            “Well, let’s go say hi,” she suggests and starts jogging over.

            “Why?” he questions as they follow her.

            “Why not?” she retorts, “we’re meeting new people.”

            “Carmen, Old Man Cletus hasn’t left his house in over four years,” he points out, “everybody thinks he’s dead. And even if he isn’t, what makes you think he’ll let us in?”

            “Aw, what’re you worried about?” she scoffs, “what do you think, Colton? Aren’t you curious?”

            “I’ve never given it much thought,” he replies, “but my curiosity is piqued a bit.”

            “There you go,” Carmen smiles.

            They enter the yard but while Carmen and Colton head straight for the front door, Squee immediately stops. He grabs Shmee from his head and squeezes him as he looks around nervously.

            “Guys, wait,” he orders. Carmen and Colton stop and look at him.

            “What’s wrong?” Carmen asks.

            “We shouldn’t be here,” Squee warns, “something’s…something’s not right about this place. Shmee feels it too.”

            “Okay,” Colton nods and starts to leave.

            “What, just like that?” Carmen questions.

            “Believe me, Carmen,” he states, “if Squee says something’s wrong, it’s probably true and you should listen when he says leave.”

            “Ah, screw that,” she scoffs, “how are you going to experience anything new if you run every time you get scared?”

            “Not every time,” Squee argues, “only if death is a slight possibility.”

            Carmen rolls her eyes and turns to the door. She knocks.

            “Carmen,” Squee hisses fearfully.

            There’s no answer. She knocks again. She cocks her head when a noise reaches her ear from beyond the door and starts to reach for the knob.

            “Carmen, what are you doing?” Squee snaps.

            “Somebody said ‘come in’,” she replies plainly as she grabs the knob.

            She starts to turn it. Despite their objections, Squee and Colton are by her side in a second. They stand close together as the door swings open.

            The first room of the house is a living room, complete with couch, easy chair, television stand, and an old TV. Everything’s covered in dust, even the floor. But there’s no sign of anyone, living or dead.

            “Hello?” Carmen questions as she walks in. Squee and Colton whimper as they follow.

            The door slams shut behind them. They jump about a foot in the air as they spin around and squeeze together.

            There’s nobody behind them. In fact there doesn’t appear to be anybody near them.

            Colton gulps as he starts to reach for the doorknob with trembling fingers.

            “Aw, leaving already?”

            They spin around at the voice. It sounded distorted and monstrous and not at all human. But standing behind them is an old man, bald with deep wrinkles and leaning over a walker.

            “It’s been so long since I last had visitors.” The voice seems to come from the old man, but it doesn’t look like he was talking. In fact, he doesn’t seem acknowledge the kids at all.

            “So long.” A huge smile revealing a mouth full of fangs spreads across the elder’s face. He begins vibrating, his skin rippling like water. The kids whimper and squeeze even closer together.

            The old man falls apart, splitting into multiple separate entities: black wraiths with humanoid forms complete with white eyes, long fangs, and sharp claws. They chortle as they glare at the kids.

            “Colton, get the door!” Squee squeals.

            Colton spins around and tries open the door but the knob won’t budge. “It won’t open!”

            “It doesn’t open from the inside,” the wraiths say. They talk simultaneously with multiple different voices. “You’re trapped here us. We can play with you all we want.”

            “Squee, if we get out of this, I swear I will always listen to you,” Carmen whimpers.

            “That’s a nice sentiment, Carmen,” Squee sighs.

            The wraiths charge the kids, but they don’t attack. Instead they swirl right above their heads before splitting into three groups, each taking a different form.

            The group closest to Carmen changes into a million ugly bugs that start swarming towards her. She shrieks and runs farther into the living room, trying to get away from them.

            The group closest to Colton changes into a cluster of teenagers. They all laugh at and make fun of all of his insecurities. He goes incredibly pale and starts backing away but they follow him, their laughter echoing in his ears.

            Squee glances back and forth between his terrified friends. “They’re changing into our worst fears.”

            As he comes to this realization, he slowly and cautiously looks at his wraiths. He gasps and his eyes widen.

            Standing before him are two incredibly familiar people: a woman and a man. The woman looks out of it as she stares at the ceiling and the man is glaring at Squee with angry, hateful eyes.

            Squee backs up into the door, trembling and speechless. Shmee is saying something, but he can’t hear him. All he can focus on is the couple before him; his parents.

            Meanwhile, next door in house 777, Devi and Tenna burst through the front door, announcing themselves to Johnny who is on the couch, watching TV.

            “It sure is nice out,” Devi comments as she stretches and looks around. “Where’s Squee?”

            “Hanging out with friends,” Johnny replies.

            “He’s become such a social butterfly, hasn’t he,” Tenna grins.

            “Hardly,” Johnny scoffs, “he still hates interacting with strangers.”

            “Who doesn’t?” Devi scoffs as they sit down.

            “Well, I think it’s nice he goes out with friends,” Tenna states.

            “He’s not ‘out’, he’s at Colton’s,” Johnny clarifies then scratches his head. “At least…I think he is.”

            “What do you mean ‘you think’?” Devi questions.

            “I don’t know,” he admits, “I’ve just…had this bad feeling for a while.”

            The girls jump when the neighbor’s dog, Bizner, suddenly starts barking. He’s usually so quiet, what could be setting him off?

            They start to ignore him when Nugget suddenly jumps to her feet and hops off the couch. She runs up to the front door and starts scratching it and looking at Johnny with big eyes.

            “What, you wanna go outside?” he questions as he stands up. He opens the door and she bursts through.

            Meanwhile, Bizner is going absolutely nuts. He’s barking and tugging at his chain as he struggles to get free. Sage is outside, trying to calm him down but it’s not helping. Something really set him off.

            “What’s going on?” Devi asks as she and Tenna step outside with Johnny. All of the neighbors are outside now, checking what all the noise is about: Amanda and Emily across the street and the Evans’ next door.

            Nugget has raced across the yard to the front door of house 779. She starts yowling and scratching at it.

            “Something is wrong,” Johnny hisses before turning towards the Evans’. “Mia! Is Squee there?”

            “No,” she replies, “he left with Colton and Carmen a few minutes ago.”

            Johnny growls and starts to turn back towards Nugget when something catches his eye. It’s Bizner, racing down the street. He managed to tear out of his collar.

            Nugget quickly runs out of the way as he rams into the door.

 

            Squee can only stare. He hasn’t thought about them in years, but they look exactly as he remembers. They act exactly as he remembers. He’s so…flabbergasted. All he can do is stare.

            They step towards him and he snaps out of it, his survival instincts taking control. He sidesteps right to the left wall, keeping them in his sights. They look at him, almost robotically, and start marching towards him. His ‘father’ is saying hurtful, insensitive things and his ‘mother’ has started commenting on how she doesn’t remember who he is.

            Squee can’t take it anymore. He covers his ears and glares at them. “Be quiet!” he shouts, “you don’t exist anymore! Not here and not in real life! You have no control over me anymore! Go away!”

            They suddenly freeze and look at him with surprise before smiling with amusement. Their forms fall apart, like the old man, and for a second they’re the wraiths again. But then they suddenly take a new form.

            It’s Johnny but he’s rather…generic looking. His face looks blank and expressionless and his shirt doesn’t have any details on it. But he’s holding a handgun.

            He slowly starts to lift it. Squee starts trembling more and more as it gets higher and higher. His eyes widen as ‘Johnny’ presses it to his right temple.

            He cocks it.

            The door is suddenly smashed off its hinges and the room fills with angry barking. Bizner races in and jumps into the fake Johnny. The wraiths split apart and disappear.

            Bizner barks angrily as he takes care of the other wraiths, saving Carmen and Colton.

            Squee pants as he slides down the wall and onto the floor. His trembling hands squeeze Shmee to his chest as he struggles to calm down.

            Nugget is suddenly at his side. She mews as she rests her front paws on his lap and rubs her head against his chin.

            Bizner comes to his other side and presses his cold nose to Squee’s cheek. He looks at them both before smiling shakenly and scratches their heads.

            “Good boy, Bizner,” he says, his voice cracking.

            “It’s not over yet,” Shmee warns.

           The room suddenly fills with distorted, evil laughter. Bizner and Nugget start snarling. Squee, Colton, and Carmen quickly cluster together and look around.

            “What’s going on?” Johnny asks as he appears the doorway, followed by Devi, Tenna, and the other residents of Grave Road.

            “Johnny!” Squee exclaims and races into his arms.

            Colton runs to his family, Carmen staying close beside him. Everybody stares at the ceiling, where the laughter seems to be concentrated. The animals hiss and bark angrily.

            “The door is broken! The seal is destroyed! We’re free!”

            The wraiths appear, swirling around the ceiling before charging for the door. They burst past everyone, knocking them to the ground, and fly towards the sky.

            “What are those things?” Devi asks with surprise and fear.

            “Pure evil,” Squee replies.

            The wraiths’ laughter echoes far as they fly around high above the houses. A black barrier suddenly spreads out from them and hits the ground around the street. Shane and Lloyd quickly jump to their feet and run into it. They pound on it and try to break it but doesn’t budge.

            “It’s no use, humans,” the wraiths say, “you’re not going anywhere. This will be our starting point; our first step to destroying the world!”

            Their laughter bounces off the barrier as they hover in a circle, claws held out in a victorious manner. The humans only stare with fear and bewilderment.


	45. Fanatics 31.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The residents of Grave Road battle a powerful evil...with water guns.

House of Monsters part two

 

            The wraiths laugh as they shoot black beams. They explode when they hit the ground, creating small craters. Devi, Tenna, Carmen, and the Grave Road residents scream with terror as they attempt to scramble away. The wraiths watch them with amusement, like a child playing with their toys.

            Johnny reaches into his jacket and pulls out a long, thin knife. He whips it at one of the spirits but it phases through it harmlessly. It looks at him and smirks.

            “Uh oh,” Johnny grunts. He barely manages to dodge a blast by jumping out of the way.

            “Quick, this way!” Amanda shouts as she points to her house. “We’ll hide in my cellar!”

            Everyone follows her past her house. They jump the fence to the backyard and race to the cellar doors. She throws them open and they jump down, closing the doors behind them.

            Everybody stands huddled together near the entrance. They stare at the doors, expecting the wraiths to burst through. But they don’t. They can be heard laughing in the distance but the noise doesn’t get any closer.

            Everyone takes a deep sigh of relief. Amanda turns the light on and they spread throughout the cellar, stretching and rubbing any injuries they might have.

            “This is insane!” Shane exclaims, “those things are going to destroy us!”

            “What are they? Where did they come from?” Sage asks.

            “It was my fault,” Carmen admits, “Squee told me to stop but I didn’t listen. I’m so sorry, Squee!”

            “It’s fine, Carmen,” Squee mutters as he sits on the floor, rubbing his forehead.

            “But what are they?” Sage asks again.

            “Spirits of some sort,” Squee replies, “they were trapped in Old Man Cletus’ house, although I’m not sure there ever was an Old Man Cletus. I think that house was like their prison and at some point in the past somebody trapped them there and spread the rumour about Old Man Cletus to keep people away from it.”

            “They have the power to destroy the world,” Devi points out, “we have to stop them.”

            “But how? Can we fight them?” Tenna asks.

            “They’re intangible,” Johnny replies, “we won’t be able to hit them.”

            “There must be something we can do,” Devi insists.

            “I’ll call Dib,” Squee declares as he takes his phone out of his bag. “He’ll probably know something.”

            He calls Dib’s cell number and holds the phone up to his ear. It rings twice before someone answers.

            “Hello?” Dib says.

            “Dib, it’s an emergency,” Squee replies, “we’ve unleashed a group of demonic spirits with the power to destroy the world. How do we stop them?”

            “Demonic spirits!” Dib exclaims, “I’ll be right over!”

            “Don’t bother,” Squee says quickly, “they’ve put up some sort of barrier around Grave Road. No one can get out and I doubt anyone can get in.”

            “Aw, too bad,” Dib sighs with disappointment, “I really wanted to see them.”

            “I’ll take pictures,” Squee grunts sarcastically, “now how do I stop them?”

            “Hm. Tell me about them. Where did they come from? What do they look like? What sort of powers do they have?” he asks.

            “They were trapped in one of my neighboring houses. They’re intangible, black wraiths that can change shape. They seem to have multiple powers ranging from energy blasts to um transforming into people’s fears.”

            “I see,” Dib muses, “if they’re intangible then you won’t be able to fight them on equal ground. And you probably can’t destroy them either. Your best bet would be to trap them again.”

            “Okay. How do we do that?” Squee asks.

            “You said they were trapped in a house, right? What freed them?”

            “The door was destroyed and they were able to escape.”

            “Then the door must be the key,” Dib concludes, “fix the door and trap them back in the house.”

            “Okay. But how do we trap them again?” Squee asks.

            “Use holy water. It’s the bane of all paranormal creatures,” Dib replies.

            “Alright. Thanks, Dib,” Squee nods.

            “No problem. Keep me posted,” Dib says.

            They hang up and Squee pockets his phone as he faces the others. “Dib says we have to trap them again. We need to fix the door and get them back in the house. It’s the best way.”

            “But how are we going to do that if we can’t fight them effectively?” Devi asks.

            “He said holy water should work,” Squee replies.

            “Where are we going to get holy water?” Tenna asks.

            “I have some in my closet,” he states, “Dib gave us all a small amount for just this kind of emergency.”

            “Alright, so we fight with holy water, fix the door, and trap them in the house,” Johnny lists off, “sound easy enough.”

            “You guys are actually considering fighting those things?” Mia asks with disbelief.

            Johnny, Devi, Tenna, and Squee look at with blank expressions. “Yeah.”

            “We have to stop them before they decide to leave and ravage the Earth,” Squee points out.

            “That’s insane!” Lloyd exclaims, “they’ll kill you!”

            “Then we just won’t let them,” Tenna shrugs.

            “I wanna help!” Colton declares.

            “What?” his parents snap.

            “Me too,” Amanda nods.

            “And me!” Carmen adds.

            “I guess we’ll help too,” Shane sighs as Sage nods beside him.

            “Good. We can use all the help we can get,” Devi smiles.

            “Okay. First thing we gotta do is get the holy water in my closet,” Squee declares.

            “How are we going to do that?” Sage asks, “if we go outside, those things will attack us.”           

            “I might be able to sneak across the road,” he suggests, “I’ll stand a better chance of making it if I go alone.”

            “No way, that’s too dangerous,” Devi snaps, “you’ll be right out in the open.”

            “Devi’s right,” Johnny grunts, “besides, I might have a better idea.”

            He runs his hand along the back wall of the cellar. Everybody watches him curiously.

            “What are you doing?” Amanda asks.

            “This cellar is underground,” Johnny muses. He presses his ear to the wall and taps. “There’s a hollow spot here.”

            He steps back, cracking his fist. Without a second thought, he punches the wall hard, creating a huge hole in the stone.

            “Hey! Are you crazy?” Amanda barks, “you’ll bring the hole house down on us!”

            Johnny smirks as he steps out of the way, rubbing his hand. Behind the stone wall is a large, dirt tunnel.

            “A tunnel?” she questions.

            “It must be part of the labyrinth,” Squee says excitedly as he joins Johnny.

            “It probably leads right to our basement,” Johnny adds, “we’ll head to the house to get the supplies. The rest of you, stay put.”

            “Make it quick,” Devi orders.

            Johnny waves away her statement away as he, Squee, and Nugget start making their way into the tunnel. The farther away they get from the cellar, the darker it gets until Squee has to use his phone to illuminate their way. It’s a long walk but doesn’t seem to change direction.

            “So what did you see in that house?” Johnny asks, “you look pretty shaken up. Er, I mean more shaken up than the situation would normally call for, I would think. At least for you.”

            “Um the wraiths are able to transform into a person’s worst fears,” Squee replies, “they uh changed into my parents.”

            “Oh,” Johnny gasps, “are they your worst fears?”

            “No, at least I didn’t think so,” he explains quickly, “I haven’t thought about them in years. And I told them so. I said they didn’t exist anymore.”

            “That’s good,” he nods approvingly.

            “Yeah,” Squee sighs, “but then they changed into…something else.”

            “What?” Nny questions.

            Squee doesn’t say anything.

            “Squee? What did they change into?”

            He’s not able to answer. He just shakes his head and presses his face into Shmee’s back.

            Johnny drops the subject. He just gives Squee a quick, comforting pat on the head.

            The tunnel starts getting brighter as an opening appears up ahead. Squee pockets his cell phone and they come out into a large, empty room with another hall to their right.

            “Yeah, I know where we are,” Johnny says as he looks around. “Come on.”

            They head down the second hall. Along the way they pass another tunnel.

            “Incidentally, that tunnel leads to the basement of Colton’s place,” Johnny says.

            They exit the tunnel into another large room. To their right is a small doorway and to their left is a high ledge with a ladder. Johnny ushers Squee up to it.

            “Alright, you first,” he orders.

            Squee rests Shmee on his head and climbs up the ladder. Johnny waits until he reaches the top before picking up Nugget and following him.

            The top of the ledge is a small room with a door straight ahead.

            “That door will take you into the house,” Johnny explains, “get to your room, grab your holy water and whatever else you may need, then meet me back here. I’m gonna go grab some stuff.”

            “Okay,” Squee nods. He and Nugget leave thought the door and enter the house’s hallway. From here they can clearly hear the wraiths’ laughter. Squee gulps before hurrying across the hall to his room.

            He stays close to the floor and hustles to his wardrobe. He opens one of the doors and grabs a small, wooden chest from the top shelf. Inside are some of his more prized possessions: the notebook he got from Nny for his thirteenth birthday, one of the Battalion flags Zim handmade, a couple of little knickknacks Pepito gifted him, and water bottle full of holy water.

            Squee grabs his bottle and sticks it his bag before putting his chest back and closing his closet. Afterwards he and Nugget manage to scurry back through the basement door without incident. They sit on the ledge and wait patiently for Johnny.

            He arrives a few minutes later carrying a large wooden crate with handle and a stuffed burlap sack. He motions for Squee to come down. He quickly obliges and climbs down the ladder.

            “What have you got?” Squee asks.

            “Some water guns, water balloons,” Johnny replies as he motions to the sack. “And some supplies we might need to fix the door.”

            “Cool. We better hurry back,” he points out.

            They walk briskly through the tunnels and make it back to Amanda’s cellar within a few minutes. It doesn’t look like anybody’s moved since they left. They immediately get to their feet when the boys arrive.

            “Okay,” Johnny grunts as he drops his stuff on the floor. “Everybody ready?”

            “What’s the plan?” Amanda asks as they gather around.

            “Squee?” he questions.

            Squee flinches when everybody looks at him. He scratches his neck nervously.

            “Uh well we can split into two groups,” he suggests, “one group will distract the wraiths with water guns filled with holy water while the other group focuses on fixing the door.”

            “Sounds good,” Tenna nods.

            “Nny will lead the distracting group,” he adds.

            “Why does he get to lead?” Devi scoffs.

            “Because Squee said so,” Johnny retorts.

            “Colton and Carmen can come with me to fix the door,” Squee says.

            “But we don’t know how to fix a door,” Carmen points out.

            “I’m sure we can…figure it out,” he mutters uncertainly.

            “My dad knows how,” Colton states.

            Everybody glances back at Lloyd. He growls and looks away. “Forget it. I’m not going out there.”

            “Coward,” Shane scoffs, “don’t worry. I know enough about hardware to be able to fix a door.”

            “Then you and I will go with the kids,” Sage says.

            “I’ll go with Johnny,” Amanda states.

            “Alright, everybody grab a weapon and fill it up,” Johnny orders as he dumps out the bag full of water guns. Squee grabs his holy water and everybody passes it around.

            “This is all we have so conserve it,” he warns.

            “Right,” Devi grunts as she pumps her gun. “Let’s do this.”

            “Emily, stay here, sweetheart,” Amanda orders as she gives her little girl a kiss on the forehead.

            “Be careful,” she whimpers.

            “Colton, you don’t have to do this,” Mia points out.

            “But I want to,” he argues, “this is partly my fault after all. Don’t worry, I’ll be alright.”

            He and Kay give each other a quick fist bump before he meets the others at the stairs. Amanda opens the doors and they exit quietly.

            They quickly exit the backyard through the fence, hiding in the shadows. Johnny lifts his gun and peeks around the corner. From here he can clearly see house 779, and the door lying in the living room.

            “Alright, we’ll go first and cause a riot,” he explains, “once it’s clear, you guys break for the house.”

            Squee nods. “Be careful.”

            “You be careful,” Nny retorts then looks up and grins. “Ladies.

            Amanda, Devi, and Tenna lift their guns.

            “Let’s fuck shit up.”

            They charge around the house, water guns at the ready. They stop in the middle of the road and stand in a circle. The wraiths notice them immediately and laugh with amusement before charging towards them.

            Tenna giggles with excitement. She lifts her gun and pulls the trigger. It sprays a tight stream of water right into a wraith’s face. They all freeze with surprise as steam starts rising.

            It starts screaming with pain and flying through the air, its form deteriorating like static. Its kin stare after it before looking at Tenna and the others.

            They smirk, lift their guns, and fire.

            The wraiths scream with pain and panic as they try to fly away, doing their best to avoid the burning liquid. Johnny, Devi, Tenna, and Amanda split up and chase after them, firing their weapons conservatively but maniacally.

            Squee, Colton, Carmen, Sage, Shane, Bizner, and Nugget watch from the shadows of Amanda’s house. As soon as the wraiths have spread out through the rest of the street, they move.

            They race across the street to house 779. Shane drops Johnny’s crate of tools next to the doorway as he and Sage bend over the door.

            “Okay, you two get to work on the door,” Squee orders, “we’ll cover you.” 

            Colton and Carmen lift their guns and Squee keeps a water balloon in each hand. Bizner and Nugget stand in front of them, looking around warily.

            “It’s not that bad,” Shane observes, “we just need to patch these cracks and get it back on the hinges and it should work just fine.”

            “They weren’t able to escape when the door was open, only when it was broken off,” Carmen points out, “so maybe a few holes won’t matter.”

            “Either way, we can easily seal them up later,” Squee adds.

            “If I do my job right, there won’t be holes,” Shane states as he opens the crate. Inside are multiple scraps of wood of varying sizes and a lot of different tools.

            “How come most of these tools have weird, red stains on them?” Shane asks.

            “Johnny’s um very…clumsy,” Squee replies weakly.

            “Gross,” Shmee grunts.

            Shane grabs a 2x4, a few screws, and a drill. He presses the board against the cracks in the door and starts drilling. “This shouldn’t take more than a few minutes. Hold the door still, babe.”

            The noise from the drill echoes through the street, alerting the wraiths. But they don’t have time to be curious about it because their attackers stick to them like glue. They’re careful to keep them away from the house. But they’re running low on ammo and won’t be able to hold them off for long.

            Squee looks around nervously, a bad feeling growing in his stomach. “Shane, hurry,” he begs.

            “I’m going as fast as I can,” Shane snaps.

            A little ways down the street, in a back alley, Amanda is busy spraying a couple of wraiths. She’s concentrating so hard on keeping them pinned to the ground that she doesn’t notice her ammo running low until the water starts sputtering out of the spout.

            The wraiths lift their heads when the assault stops. They look at her and snarl.

             “Oh no,” she whimpers.

            They fly through her, knocking her to the ground. She rolls onto her stomach and watches them race through a yard to the street.

            “I’m out!” she shouts as she scrambles to her feet and chases after them. “They’re coming!”

            Everybody hears her. Bizner starts barking as the wraiths turn the corner and starts racing towards them.

            “Shane!” Squee squeals.

            “Just hold them off for a few more minutes!” he orders as he and Sage lift the door into the doorway.

            Carmen and Colton step forward with their guns and start firing. They manage to keep the wraiths at bay, but for how long? How long until the others come? How long until they run out of ammo?

            One of those questions is quickly answered when Squee senses a fast approaching presence behind him. He spins around to a charging wraith. He instinctively jumps out of the way and lands on the ground in a crouch.

            The wraith spins around and snarls at him. “We won’t let you trap us again! We are not your prisoners!”

            It charges him and again Squee dodges by rolling across the grass and snow. He grips his water balloon and whips it at the spirit. It dodges the balloon but the splash from its explosion hits it. It hisses and recoils in pain.

            It glares at him and snarls angrily as steam rises from its wounds. Its form suddenly changes and Squee’s eyes widen with fear and dread.

             ‘Johnny’ stands before him, gun in hand. Squee starts trembling as he lifts the gun. He knows this isn’t real, that they’re just messing with him. But he can’t look away. He can only watch with wide, terrified eyes as ‘Johnny’ presses the gun to his temple.

            Water suddenly splashes his face. His generic, blank face suddenly changes to a surprised expression before he starts screaming with pain. His form changes back to the original wraith as it squirms on the ground rubbing its head.

            “The fact that it had my face made it more satisfying,” Johnny says as he appears behind Squee.

            He looks up at him, a distressed look on his face. Nny rests his hand on his head and ruffles his hair a bit. He smiles with relief.

            “The door is almost done,” Shane announces.

            “Great,” Devi grunts as she and Tenna join the group. “I’m out.”

            “Me too,” Tenna adds.

            “Colton, Carmen,” Johnny snaps, “give us your guns.”

            Carmen and Colton stop firing and pass Johnny and Devi their guns. There isn’t much water left in them.

            The wraiths all join together and hover in front of everyone. They gather behind Nny and Devi while Shane and Sage screw in the door’s hinges.

            The wraiths start advancing. Johnny and Devi point their guns at them, ready to fire, and back up slowly.

            “Any time, Shane,” Johnny snaps.

            “Just a few more minutes,” Shane snaps back.

            “We won’t be trapped again,” the wraiths snap, “not when we’re finally free! We’ll ravage this world! And torture all of you for what you did to us! You’ll forever be subjected to your worst fears!”

            “Oh, cool,” Nny exclaims excitedly, “yeah, do that! I wanna see what you come up with for me!”

            “Johnny!” Squee and Devi snap.

            “Fine,” he groans and lifts his gun back up.

            “You can’t defeat us! You’re nothing more than a few humans; weak, skin-wrapped beasts bound my mortality!” the wraiths bark.

            “I don’t know about that,” Tenna says, “Johnny’s died like three times.”       

            “Actually twice, as far as I know,” he corrects.

            “Silence!” they shout, “enough of your babbling! Prepare for death!”

            They start swirling around and mashing into each other, slowly joining together to create a much bigger, much more terrifying wraith. Johnny and the others stare up at it, slack-jawed with a mix of surprise and fear. It glares down at them with empty, white eyes and bares it huge fangs angrily.

            “It’s done!” Shane announces.

            The wraith roars with such intensity and volume, the ground shakes beneath their feet. They cover their ears to muffle the sound until it stops.

            It snarls and lifts it ginormous claw, preparing to swipe at the small humans at its feet.

            “Shmee!” Squee shouts.

            The bear hops off his head, high into the air, meeting the wraiths height. It looks at him with surprise. Shmee sticks out his leg and slams it onto the wraith’s head. It roars in pain and lurches forward, gripping its throbbing noggin.

            Squee grabs his last water balloon and throws it at the wraith. It hits its stomach and explodes, splashing holy water all over its midsection.

            The wraith lets out an ear-splitting cry. Everybody covers their ears. It form quickly falls apart and it splits back into the original group. They hit the ground hard. Shmee lands gracefully beside them before back flipping and landing on Squee’s head.

            “Scatter!” Devi snaps. Everybody obliges and races away from the wraiths while she and Johnny run around them so their between them and the house. Then they pump their guns and start spraying.

            The wraiths hiss and shout as the holy water splashes all over them, forcing them back. They can’t even comprehend running away and even if they could, Nny and Devi’s wide volley wouldn’t give them any openings.

            They’re quickly forced back into the house but the spraying doesn’t stop until the last drop, when they’re shoved against the far wall of the living room. Then Johnny and Devi quickly back out of the house.

            The wraiths scream angrily at them. They rush frantically towards them. Johnny closes the door right in their faces.

            Silence. Silence is all that follows. Just pure, deafening silence as the barrier around the street disappears like dust and everybody pants as they stare at the door.

            “Did-,” Shane stammers and looks at Squee. “Did your teddy bear come to life?”

            Squee looks at him and blinks. “Yeah.”

            “Oh,” he grunts.

            “We won!” Tenna squeals and jumps around happily.

            “Good work, everyone,” Devi smiles.

            “Yeah,” Amanda beams, “let’s go let the others know.”

            She, Shane, Sage, and Colton hurry to her cellar. Carmen lets out a sigh of relief as she lies down in the snow next to an equally exhausted Bizner. Nugget hops into Squee’s arms and nuzzles his chin before closing her eyes to take a quick cat nap. Squee, Devi, Tenna, and Johnny look at the door with contemplation.

            “How can we be sure no one will go in there in the future?” Devi asks.

            “We can’t. It’s natural curiosity,” Squee shrugs.

            “Let’s make a sign,” Tenna declares. She digs around in Johnny’s tool crate before pulling out a large piece of wood, a marker, and wood glue. She quickly writes on it before nailing it to the door. It reads ‘Do not open. Angry spirits inside.’

            “Yeah, that won’t arouse suspicions,” Johnny grunts sarcastically.

            “Hey, guys.” They turn to Pepito just entering Grave Road. He’s smiling and waving. “What’s going on?”

            “It’s a long story,” Squee replies.

            Pepito starts to enter the street when he stops abruptly and twitches with pain. “Ow-ow what-ouch-ow!” He jumps back and rubs his arms, a pained expression on his face.          

            “What’s wrong?” Squee asks as he rushes over.

            “I don’t know. I just felt a really weird burning sensation all of a sudden,” he replies, “it’s not happening anymore.”

            “Oh!” Devi gasps with realization. “All that holy water we splashed around must’ve turned the street into hallowed ground.”

            “So Pepito won’t be able to come here?” Johnny questions then laughs, “bonus!”  
            “Holy water?” Pepito questions.

            “I’ll explain at your place,” Squee promises as he turns Pepito away. “Coming, Carmen?”

            “Yeah, yeah. I’ll catch up,” she replies exhaustedly as she half waves to them without getting up.

            Squee smiles and leads Pepito back down the street. Johnny, Devi, Tenna, and Nugget go back into the house. Carmen remains right where she is, lightly petting Bizner on the head.

            “You know, Bizner, there’s a lesson behind all this,” she says, “Squee and Colton were right. Nothing good comes from going outside.”


	46. Fanatics 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Children around the city are disappearing. The Battalion tries to figure out why.

Video Game of Doom

 

            A young boy by the name of Jag runs home excitedly, brand new video game clutched to his chest. He bursts through the front door and heads straight to his bedroom. He puts his game in the console, crawls onto his bed, controller in hand, and prepares to play. His family won’t be seeing him for quite a while.

            A few hours later, Jag exits his bedroom. He wanders down the wall and into the kitchen, where his mom is washing dishes.

            “Oh, look who it is,” she jokes, “how’s your new game?”

            Jag doesn’t answer. He just keeps walking, straight for the front door.

            “Jag?” she questions and walks up to him. “You can’t go out. It’s past curfew. Hey, are you listening?”

            She grabs his shoulders and turns him around so they’re facing each other. She gasps when she sees his face. He’s expressionless, whiter than a sheet, his eyes are wide and empty, and he’s drooling. He’s looking right at her but he doesn’t even perceive her.

            “Jag? Jag, can you hear me?” she asks worriedly, “oh, no. I better get you to a hospital.”

            She lets go of him for a second to grab her car keys, but as soon as she turns back around, he’s gone and the front door is wide open.

            “Jag?” she exclaims and races outside. “Jag!” He’s nowhere to be seen. The street is entirely empty.

            The mother falls to her knees in despair. “JAG!”

 

            “I hope everyone had a magical day of Skool,” Miss Sweeties chimes as everyone waits impatiently for the last bell to ring.

            “You could call it that,” Pepito grunts drily.

            “Now remember, because of the many children disappearing lately, no one is allowed to leave Skool ground without their parents or guardian escorting them,” she scolds, “if you do not have an escort, then let a teacher know and they will bring you home.”

            The bell rings and everyone hurries out the classroom. “Have a super night. See you tomorrow,” Miss Sweeties calls after them.

            Pepito and Squee split off from Zim and Dib to go to their lockers. They open and drop off their books.

            “You got any plans for tonight?” Pepito asks as they grab their jackets.

            “Not really,” Squee replies, “you?”

            “Nah. Maybe practice my guitar a bit,” he shrugs.

            They close their lockers and leave the Skool, pulling their jackets on along the way. As they start to exit the grounds, they notice Zim leaning against the fence, an annoyed look on his face.

            “What’s up, Zim?” Pepito asks, “need a ride home?”

            “No,” he replies, “I’m just waiting for my ‘escort’.”

            “I didn’t think you would abide by Skool rules,” Squee comments.

            “Normally, I wouldn’t,” Zim says, “but they called my house yesterday to tell my parents to pick me up. But my robo-parents aren’t functioning. So I had to resort to…plan b.”

            “What’s that?” Pepito questions.

            “Greetings, nephew!”

            Everyone in the immediate area looks down the street at the excited cry. Zim doesn’t though. He knows who it is, and it makes him want to crawl into a hole.

            “Meet my Uncle Skoodge,” he groans.

            Skoodge, in his black wig, blue contacts, and leather jacket, marches right up to Zim, a big smile on his face. He looks up at the much taller disguised Irken and pats his leg.

            “I missed you today, nephew,” he chimes, “did you have a good day today?”

            Zim doesn’t answer. Just groans as every nearby student starts giggling, including Pepito and Squee.

             “Man, Zim,” Chunk laughs, “I thought you were short, but your uncle proved me wrong.”

            “It probably runs in the family,” Jessica snickers, “someday Zim will shrink down to knee height too.”

            “It does run in the family!” Skoodge exclaims excitedly, “I can’t wait until Zim starts shrinking, then we’ll really be able to bond.”           

            Everyone laughs mockingly. Zim groans and buries his face into his hands. “This is so humiliating.”

            Squee tries his best hold back his laughter- Pepito, not so much- as he comfortingly pats Zim’s shoulder. “Hurry home, Zim. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

            Zim half waves as Squee pushes through the crowds of laughing teenagers to Johnny’s car. He climbs into the passenger seat and they take off.

            The traffic jams are worse than usual since every child in the city is being driven home by their parents or guardians. To help keep his mind off the frustrating speed and assholes honking their horns, Johnny turns on the radio.          

            “The number of disappearances has skyrocketed across the city, ages ranging from twelve to twenty-two. Police are baffled as they can’t seem to find any correlation between any of the disappearances.”

            “You know, Devi grilled me about those disappearances today,” Johnny says.

            “You aren’t responsible for this,” Squee states.

            “That’s what I said!” he exclaims, “she’s so paranoid.”

            “Still it is pretty bizarre,” he comments, “it’s not very often the media focuses so much on disappearances. The numbers must be really high.”

            Squee considers something for a second before looking at Johnny. “How old are you?”

            “How the hell should I know?” Nny scoffs, “why? You worried I might go missing? If I were you, I’d worry about yourself. This is the exact kind of thing you and your friends get mixed up in.”

            “Not deliberately,” Squee argues, “at least, not me. But Dib is probably trying to figure out this whole thing right now.”

            Meanwhile, at the Membrane household, Dib is pacing back and forth in the middle of the living room, hand on his chin and face twisted with concentration.

            “Perhaps it’s some sort of monster that eats children,” he muses, “no, no young adults have gone missing too. A siren that attracts people with its song? Maybe, but I think that’s more of a sailor thing.”

            While he mumbles incoherently, Gaz strides by him and hooks her Amusement Station up to the big TV. She pops in her new video game and sets herself up on the couch, controller in hand.

            “Dib, shut up,” she snaps, “I’m about to play my new game so you better beat it.”

            “Gaz, countless people have gone missing in the past few days!” Dib points out, “don’t you care?”

            “No,” she answers plainly.

            “Fine,” he grunts and heads for the front door. “I’ll go to Zim’s then. At least he’ll show some interest.”

            With that Dib dramatically leaves the house, slamming the door for added effect, leaving Gaz alone with her game.

 

            Johnny pulls his car over in front of his house. He and Squee hop out and start to head in when Colton suddenly leaves his house. He hurries down the street, bumping into Johnny along the way.

            “Hey, watch it!” he snaps. Colton just keeps walking.       

            Nny stares at him with confusion. Usually the kid would immediately shower Johnny with terrified apologies, but this time he didn’t even seem to notice.

            “Colton?” Squee questions, noticing the strangeness too. He grabs his friend’s shoulder, easily stopping him, and turns him around.

            His eyes are wide and empty, his face is blank, and his mouth is slightly open, releasing just a bit of drool.

            “I know this look,” Squee exclaims, “his brain’s been washed!”

            “What?” Johnny questions as he looks over him. “How do you know?”

            “I was locked up in an insane asylum for a year, remember?” he replies, “every patient there had the same look.”

            “So, what, Colton’s been popping pills?”

          “I doubt that,” Squee muses, “Colton doesn’t like pills. They’re too hard for him to swallow.”

            “So what’s the cause then?” Johnny asks as he takes a closer look at Colton’s face.

            “I’ll find out,” Squee declares as he hands him to Nny. “Keep Colton in the house; don’t let him go anywhere. I’ll go take a look in his room.”

            Johnny quickly pulls on a pair of gloves before taking Colton by the shoulders and leading him inside. Meanwhile, Squee crosses the yard to neighbor’s house and knocks on the door.

            Colton’s little sister, Kay, answers. “Yo, Squee.”

            “Sup, Kay,” he nods.

            “Colton just left,” she states.

            “No, I know,” he says quickly, “have you…noticed him doing anything strange lately?”

            “No,” she replies, “why, is something wrong?”

            Kay’s quite sharp for her age. Squee clears his throat and looks away. “I-I don’t know. But don’t worry; I’ll find out soon enough. Do you mind if I go up to his room?”

            “No, go ahead,” she replies as she steps aside. Squee smiles gratefully as he walks by.

            “Do you sense anything, Shmee?” he asks quietly as he climbs the stairs.

            “No evil, living creatures,” Shmee replies, “unless you count Lloyd.”

            “So a monster didn’t do this to him,” he muses.

            “Perhaps not directly.”

            Squee stops at Colton’s door and walks in. His room looks the way one would expect a sexually frustrated, socially awkward geek’s room to look. Dorky, superhero bed sheets, a waste basket full of used tissues, posters all over the walls, a television equipped with an Amusement Station- Colton could go on for hours about why it’s better than the Z-Hexahedron- and books everywhere along with his bass guitar sitting on its stand.

            Squee doesn’t immediately see anything that could have led to Colton’s brainwashing. But the TV and Amusement Station were left on. He kneels in front of it to get a better look.

            The screen looks black with lines running through it like static and there’s an odd humming noise sounding from the speakers. It’s kind of… mesmerizing.

            As Squee stares at it, his mind goes completely. He starts to feel sluggish but at the same time determined, like there’s something he has to do.      

            He quickly closes his eyes and shakes his head. “Whoa,” he mutters.

            “It’s the game,” Shmee grunts.

            “Yeah,” Squee nods. He opens the Amusement Station, takes out the game disc, and sticks it back into its case before hurrying out of the house.

            “It’s this game!” he exclaims as he bursts through the front door of his house, game case held above his head.  He freezes when he sees Johnny holding a pin to Colton’s finger. He scrambles frantically before jumping away and hiding his hands behind his back.

            “What were you doing?” Squee asks suspiciously.

            “He won’t respond to anything,” Johnny replies quickly, “not even when I tugged on his cheeks. I wanted to see…how strong that tolerance…was…”

            “Uh huh,” he groans and rubs his forehead.

            “Anyway, what’d you say about a game?” he asks.

            “This!” Squee snaps and holds the case in front of Nny’s face. “This game is the cause of Colton’s brainwashing.”

            Johnny takes the game and reads the cover. “‘Mind Control’. Hm, subtle,” he grunts sarcastically.

            “I recognize it,” Squee says, “Colton’s been raving about it all week. It was just released a couple of days ago and it’s been really hyped up in the gaming community. It must be the cause of all the disappearances lately.”

            He takes his phone out of his bag. “I gotta call Zim.”

            Meanwhile, across the city, Zim is sitting on his couch with Minimoose and Gir. The three of them are watching Dib pace back and forth across the living room as he babbles endlessly about the possible reasons behind all the disappearances. Zim got tired of it an hour ago but Minimoose and Gir seem enthralled.

            His cellphone suddenly starts ringing. It pops out of his PAK and he catches it and answers, “hello?”

            “Zim, I figured out the cause behind the disappearances!” Squee exclaims.

            “Squee said he figured it out,” Zim tells Dib.

            “What? What is it?” he asks frantically.

            “What is it?” Zim asks Squee.

            “It’s a video game called ‘Mind Control’,” he replies, “it was just released a couple of days ago.”

            “It’s a game called ‘Mind Control’,” Zim tells Dib.

            “Interesting,” Dib muses, “we must investigate immediately.”

            “You have the game?” Zim asks Squee.

            “Yes,” he replies.

            “Bring it to my house and we’ll investigate it,” he orders, “bring Pepito.”

            “Alright. We’ll be there in a bit,” Squee says before hanging up. “I’m going to Zim’s house. Can you stay here and keep an eye on Colton?”

            “Sure,” Nny nods.

            “And don’t hurt him,” he demands.

            “It’s not really hurting if he doesn’t feel it,” he points it.

            “Fine, don’t damage him then.”

            “Okay.”  
            Squee quickly sticks the game in his bag before leaving and heading to Pepito’s house. It’s a quick walk. He quickly details him on what’s going on before they ask his mom for a ride to Zim’s house. She happily complies and they make it there within the hour.

            Dib examines the game disc closely with a magnifying glass, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “It doesn’t look any different from a regular disc.”

            “No, it’s the game itself,” Squee clarifies, “there’s a level or-or something that causes the brainwashing.”

            “How, exactly?” he asks.

            “Only one way to find out,” Zim declares as he takes the disc and holds it to the ceiling. “Computer!”

            A long, metal arm extends down, grabs the disc, and disappears back into the ceiling. The TV suddenly turns on as it connects with the game.

            “By the way, where’s Gaz?” Pepito asks.

            “She’s busy playing a new game,” Dib replies, “there’s no way she’d want to split to join us.”

            The game finishes connecting and a wireless controller drops down from the ceiling into Zim’s hand. Everyone sits on the floor as the game starts loading.

            It shows logos first from designers and publishers. Then ‘Terms and Conditions’ pop onto the screen. The boys all groan with annoyance and Zim immediately hits accept.

            The title screen appears: ‘Mind Control’ ‘Press Start’. Zim hits the start button and a list of options appears: ‘New Game’, ‘Extras’, ‘Options’, and such. Zim selects ‘New Game’ and it starts loading.

            “How will we know when it starts to control our minds?” Pepito asks.

            “I saw the screen; I’ll warn you guys when it pops up,” Squee replies.

            The game opens up to the player screen. It seems nice enough; good graphics, art, and music. The protagonist is a seemingly male character wearing colourful clothes and the area appears to be a small village.

            Zim starts moving the character around. He talks to random NPCs and explores a bit. Nothing seems out of the ordinary until Zim arrives at a large castle. He walks through the front door and the screen goes black.

            Lines suddenly appear, running horizontally across the screen and a humming noise sounds from the speakers.

            “This is it!” Squee shouts, “everyone, look away! And put it on mute!”

            Zim scrambles for the TV controller before hitting mute as everybody looks away from the screen.

            “Computer! Analyze!” he barks.

            “The humming is a noise that slowly numbs the minds of all who hear it while the lines contain a form of hypnosis that controls the numb mind,” the Computer explains.

            “In other words, one must hear the noise and see the screen to be controlled,” Dib clarifies.

            “What does it make them do?” Pepito asks.

            “Purpose is unknown,” the Computer replies.

            “Hey, hold on. Didn’t you say Gaz was busy playing a new game?” Squee questions.

            “Yeah, why-,” Dib starts to question until they all come to the same realization.

            Simultaneously, they jump to their feet and race out to the door to Dib’s house.    

            “There’s no way we’ll make it in time,” Pepito points out, “she’s probably already brainwashed.”

            “We have to try,” Dib insists.

            They arrive within a few minutes and burst through the front door. “Gaz!”  
            Gaz looks up from her Game Slave at the four idiots who just fell to the floor.

            “Stop playing that game!” Dib exclaims as he clambers to his feet. He tears her Game Slave out of her hands and throws it across the room.    

            “Hey!” she snaps.

            “Hold on,” Squee grunts as he sits up. “Wasn’t ‘Mind Control’ only for the Amusement Station?”  
            “Oh…was it?” Dib questions.

            He flinches when he feels a terrible, evil presence looming behind him. He slowly turns around to his very angry, little sister standing on the couch glaring down at him.

            “You better hope it’s not broken,” she hisses.

            Dib squeaks and ducks behind Zim.

            Gaz lifts her hand, ready to wreak havoc on her terrified brother.

            “Wait, Gaz!” Pepito exclaims as he steps in front of her. “He was just trying to save you! That game, ‘Mind Control’, actually controls people’s minds!”

            “Yeah, I know,” she grunts.

            “Y-you do?” he questions.

            “How?” Zim questions sceptically.

            “I read the Terms and Conditions,” Gaz replies plainly.

            “Huh?” the boys croak.

            “The Terms and Conditions pop up as soon as you first play the game,” she explains, “they basically say that when you play the game you are agreeing to have your mind controlled and that the manufacturers and publishers aren’t responsible for any injuries or cause of death that may occur to those affected by the brainwashing.”

            “Oh,” the boys mumble.

            “And I didn’t like the sound of that so I didn’t play it,” she shrugs.

            “Yeah, well, that game is responsible for all the disappearances lately,” Zim points out.

            “They had it coming,” Gaz states, “I mean it says right in the Terms and Conditions that you’re going to get brainwashed if you play this game.”

            “By that logic almost everyone in the world should disappear,” Squee says.

            “That doesn’t sound like a bad thing.”

            “If you don’t want to help, you don’t have to,” Zim snaps.

            “No, I’ll help,” Gaz says, “but not to find the missing people. I have my own reasons.”

            “Fine,” he grunts, “now we just gotta figure out where the brainwashed people go.”

            “We can use someone as like a guinea pig,” Pepito suggests, “but who?”

            “Oh, let’s use Skoodge,” Zim says excited, “he still owes for the humiliation he dealt to me at Skool.”

            “Didn’t you drop kick him into a wall?” Dib questions.

            “Yes, but it wasn’t near satisfying enough,” he scoffs.

            “That won’t be necessary, Zim,” Squee states, “I have a perfectly decent specimen.”

            They all climb into Membrane’s car and Dib drives them to Squee’s house. Once they arrive, they quickly hop out and walk through the front door. Johnny is sitting on the couch watching TV with Nugget curled beside him. He glances at the kids but otherwise doesn’t look away from his show.

            “Where’s Colton?” Squee asks.

            “Kitchen,” he replies plainly.

            They walk through the living room and peek into the kitchen. Colton is sitting on the floor, a harness around his chest and a leash attached to it that’s tied to the table.

            “He kept trying to leave and I got bored of watching him,” Nny explains, “so I borrowed Shane’s dog leash and a harness and tied him up. Every so often he tries to get up and then falls back down. It’s pretty funny.”

            Almost on cue, Colton tries to get to his feet but the leash is too short and he falls back to the floor. Zim, Dib, and Pepito chuckle with amusement.

            “Alright, this will work,” Zim nods as he unties the leash from the table. “He’ll lead us right to the source of the problem.”

            Colton climbs to his feet and starts walking to the front door almost mechanically. Zim holds onto the leash and they follow him.

            “I’ll be back later,” Squee says.

            “Right,” Johnny grunts, “call me if you need anything.”

            They leave the house and follow the brainwashed Colton to his mysterious destination.

            It’s long walk, nearly three hours. Eventually they find themselves in a part of the city none of them are familiar with. It’s full of old, rundown warehouses and office buildings. There isn’t any sign of life anywhere.

            They come up to one of the larger buildings in the area. It’s got multiple stories and is surrounded by a high, stone wall. They peek around the wall through the opening leading into the yard.

            Marching quietly through the front doors is a huge line up of people, ranging from early teens to early adults. And they all have the same blank expression on their faces.

            “This is it,” Zim grunts and they duck back around the wall.

            “What now?” Pepito asks.

            “We sneak in,” Dib replies.

            “But how?” Gaz questions, “we’ll no doubt be noticed.”

            “We just gotta blend in,” Squee states.

            “You know how?” Zim asks.

            “Sure. It was the only way to avoid taking the medication when I was in the insane asylum,” he replies, “all you gotta do is keep your eyes wide open, blink very seldom, and try not to look around too much. Leave a blank look on your face at all times. Drooling a little wouldn’t hurt. And basically just do what everyone else is doing.”

            “Alright,” Zim grunts as he ties the end of Colton’s leash to a nearby lamp post. “We’ll sneak in using Squee’s method and find out who’s responsible for this. Everybody, turn into a zombie.”

            They all put on a similar expression to Colton’s, doing their best to look as brainwashed as possible.

            “How do we look, Squee?” Pepito asks.

            “Very mindless,” he says approvingly.

            “Good,” Zim nods, “let’s go.”

            They join the lineup of brainwashed gamers and slowly file through the doorway. It’s slow going at first until they make it into the building, then everyone starts marching steadily. Zim and the others struggle to keep up effectively while also maintaining their zombie persona.

            They stride down the dark hallway, through a pair of double doors and into a large room with a high ceiling and a balcony before them. The room is filled with nearly hundreds of people, all of them brainwashed and staring at the balcony.

            “I think my face is starting to freeze,” Pepito whispers.

            “Keep it together,” Zim hisses, “we still don’t know who’s in charge yet.”

            “Everyone seems really fascinated by the balcony,” Squee points out, “maybe we should go up there?”

            “Alright,” he nods, “everybody back away slowly.”

            They slowly and cautiously back out of the room until they’re in the hallway then quickly rush out of the crowd towards the door labeled ‘stairs’. They close the door behind them and groan with relief.

            “My face hurts,” Dib sighs, “you had to do that for a year?”

            “It’s not so bad once you get used to it,” Squee says as he rubs his eyes.

            “Come on,” Zim orders. They quickly trot up the stairs to the second floor. There doesn’t appear to be anything interesting up here. All of the doors are either closed or boarded up. They cautiously go down the hall, keeping their ears- and antennae- open for any suspicious noises.

            “Look,” Squee whispers as he points down the corridor. “There’s a light under that door.”

            They hurry down the hall up to the door and rest their ears against it. They don’t hear anything. Zim slowly opens it and they peek inside.

            It’s a large room full of all kinds of technology. There’s a large generator on the other side powering all of the electricity. Against the right wall is a huge computer with a giant screen and control panel. On the screen is a map of the city with blinking red dots spread out around and a large cluster concentrated in one small area. The kids walk up to it with surprise and awe.

            “Hyuman technology is so clunky,” Zim comments distastefully.

             “The dots probably represent everyone who’s been brainwashed and their locations,” Dib muses

            “So if we destroy this machine, then they’ll all be freed, right?” Pepito questions.

            “Probably not,” he replies, “there must be some sort of antenna or something that’s controlling them. We have to find that and destroy it.”

            “If it’s an antenna then it’ll probably be on the roof,” Squee suggests.

            “Right,” Zim nods, “let’s go.”

            They start to head back into the hallway when somebody suddenly appears in the door, blocking their way out. They gasp and step back. Standing before them is a tall, thin man with messy black hair and an acne ridden face. He’s wearing a dirty suit covered in sweat stains and he looks like he hasn’t washed in days. He’s just all-around unpleasant.

            “What have we here?” he grunts, “pesky rats?”

            “Who are you?” Zim asks.

            “Toby Migluff,” he replies proudly.

            “Migluff? As in Migluff Games?” Gaz questions.

            “That’s right,” he nods, “I’m the founder.”

           “Then you must also be responsible for this!” Dib snaps as he gestures to the large computer.

            “Correct again,” Toby laughs, “yes, it’s true. My new game ‘Mind Control’ lives up to its name in ways nobody could imagine!”

            “But why?” Squee asks.

            “For world domination!”

            “What?” Zim barks.

            “For years people like me have been tormented for how we look, the hobbies we like,” Toby monologues, “I want revenge! So I am building an army of people just like me: reclusive gamers. Together we will take over this world and destroy any who get in my way.”

            “But that’s my job!” Zim whines.

            “You’re not building an army!” Squee snaps, “you’re controlling those people against their will!”

            “It’s not against their will,” Toby argues, “I put in a Terms and Conditions. It’s not my fault nobody reads those. But that’s neither here nor there. You’re trespassing and I can’t have you ruining my plans.”

            He snaps his fingers and the entire building starts rumbling.

            “What is that?” Squee asks fearfully.

            “Oh, god,” Dib whimpers, “his army is coming after us.”

            “We have to go!” Zim orders, “Pepito!”

            Pepito rushes forward and shoves Toby out of the way, slamming him into the opposite wall of the hall. The kids then immediately race down the hallway to the next flight of stairs.

            “Gross, he was slimy,” Pepito groans with disgust as he wipes his hands off on his jacket.

            “We need to get to the roof, find the antennae, and destroy it,” Zim demands.

            “We need to be quick,” Squee adds, “that brainwashed army is coming after us.”

            “Please, they’re gamers,” Pepito scoffs, “how dangerous can they be?”

            Just before they reach the stairwell, a loud clatter sounds from down the hall. They stop and turn around fearfully.

            The army has reached the second floor and is clambering after them. They don’t look so mindless anymore. Now they look like scary, angry zombies.

            The kids scream with fear and surprise and race into the stairwell. They climb the stairs two at a time and rush through the third floor. But the army is catching up fast.

            They make it to the next stairwell only to find the door is all boarded up.

            “Oh no,” Dib mutters.

            “They’re here!” Squee squeaks as the army crowds around them.

            They swipe at the kids with grabby hands which they struggle to shake off and press against the wall.

            “Back off!” Zim barks as his spider legs extend from his PAK.

            “Zim, wait!” Squee shouts, “we can’t hurt them!”

            “He’s right. They’re not in control of themselves,” Pepito agrees.

            “Ugh, fine,” Zim groans, “get behind me.”

            Everybody obeys and stands behind him as his spider legs create a shield around them, protecting them from the brainwashed army.

            “Get that door open!” he orders.

            Dib, Gaz, Pepito, and Squee start tearing at the boards, ripping them off the wall and slowly freeing the door. The mindless gamers bang relentlessly on Zim’s shield but he’s able to hold it up.

            They rip the last of the boards off and open the door. “It’s open!” Pepito announces.

            Zim slowly backs into the doorway, leaving his shield up until he’s safely inside. Then he drops it and they slam the door close before racing up the stairs.

            The door doesn’t help though. The army effortlessly knock it down with the strength of their numbers and continue after them, nipping at their heels.

            One of them grabs Squee’s leg. He shouts with surprise as he’s tugged back. He turns around, preparing to defend himself any way he can until he gets a look at his captor.

            “C-Colton?” he croaks.

            “Squee! No!” Pepito cries as he turns around.

            The brainwashed Colton grabs onto Squee and pulls him into the crowd. He screams and struggles to free himself, but it’s too late. They’ve got him.

            “Come on!” Zim snaps as he tugs Pepito’s shoulder. He reluctantly follows him up to the fourth floor.

            “But what about Squee?” he asks.

            “Squee will be fine,” Zim insists, “our main priority is getting to the roof.”

            “We’ll never make it,” Dib laments, “there’s too many of them and they’re too fast. Who would’ve thought gamers would make such a good army?”

            Pepito scoffs. He stops and spins around.

            “Pepito, what are you doing?” Zim asks as they slide to a stop.

            “You guys, go!” he snap, “I’ll hold them off. I don’t know how long I’ll last but I can at least buy you some time.”

            Zim flinches before nodding hesitantly. “Fine. We’ll be fast.”

            He, Dib, and Gaz continue down the hallway while Pepito stays put. He grabs his guitar from off his back and prepares to face off with the army.

            They clamber to him senselessly. He lifts his guitar waves it in a large arc before him, releasing a wave of black energy that knocks over most of the gamers in the front. But the ones behind them just race over them without even slowly down.

            Pepito growls and holds his guitar out horizontally before him. He creates a transparent, black force field which they immediately ram into. The force is equivalent to being tackled by a giant football player, even though they don’t touch Pepito directly.

            He’s only able to hold out for a few more seconds before they knock him down.

            Zim, Dib, and Gaz race up the stairs to the fifth and final floor. They can hear the army chasing after them but fortunately, thanks to Pepito, they’ve managed to gain some ground.

            They make it to the final stairwell leading to the roof. They burst through the door and look around frantically.

            “There!” Dib exclaims as he points to a large, shiny antenna that obviously does not go with the building.

            They race towards it but slide to an abrupt stop when they see the guards: two, 300 pound men with angry, brainwashed faces. They don’t immediately attack the kids but they hold their ground menacingly.

            “Jeez,” Zim grunts.

            Somebody starts clapping behind them. They spin around as Toby approaches them, his army following close behind.

            “You did well to make this far,” he says, “if this were a game, I’d say you passed that level with a C. You could’ve gotten a B, but you lost two teammates along the way.”

            “This isn’t a game, you freak!” Dib snaps, “these are people’s minds you’re messing with!”

            “Don’t lecture me, boy!” Toby barks, “you think you’re better me? You’re just like everyone else! Judgemental, self-important scum!”

            He snaps his fingers and the two guards lunge forward. The kids jump out of the way, just barely dodging them, but they’re really fast for their size. They successfully grab Dib and Zim and hug them tightly to their chests, squeezing their slim body with their giant, meaty arms. They try to free themselves, but it’s no use.

            Toby laughs victoriously before looking at Gaz, an amused smile on his face. “You!” he booms, “you’re a gamer too, aren’t you? I can tell. You have that sort of presence.”

            Gaz looks at him suspiciously.

            “You played my game, didn’t you? Or attempted to at least,” he says, “but you didn’t because you read the Terms and Conditions and you know the sort of dangers it had. You’re smarter than everyone here. Join me and together we’ll rule this world.” He holds out his hand. “What do you say?”  
            “Gaz, don’t do it,” Dib croaks.

            Gaz stares at Toby’s hand with surprise. Her face drops to a look of determination and she walks forward. She takes Toby’s hand and he smiles excitedly.

            Gaz tugs him forward and rams her knee into his stomach. He gags as his face twists with pain and surprise. She lets go of his hand and shoves him to the floor.

            “I hate people like you!” she shouts, “you’re just as bad as the ones you’re out to get! You say they judged and tormented you based on how you looked and what you liked, but that’s exactly what you’re doing to these people! You’re controlling them based on their hobbies, all because they’re gamers! You’re nothing but judgemental, hypocritical scum!”

            Toby flinches and glares angrily at her.

            “I’m putting a stop to this,” she declares as she draws her bat from her jacket. She turns and races towards the antenna.

            “Stop her!” Toby orders. His army immediately races after her. The two guards let go of Zim and Dib, dropping them to the ground, and lunge towards her.

            She hops up and lands gracefully on their backs. She jumps off of them, knocking them to the floor, and flies through the air right to the antenna.

            She lifts her bat and swings, smashing the tip to pieces.

            “No!” Toby cries.

            Gaz grunts as she lands on the ground in a crouch. Zim and Dib stare at her, mouths agape with surprise, before turning to the gamers.

            Life visibly returns to their faces. They blink multiple times and look around with confusion. Many of them mumble questionably about where they are and what’s going on.

            Inside the building, the mind control effects wear off everyone else too. They stand up and look around, confused and a little scared.

            Squee groans as his captors release him. He falls to the floor and rubs his fresh bruises.

            “Squee?” Colton questions, “what happened? What’s going on?”

            “It’s a long story,” Squee replies plainly.

            A flight higher, Pepito’s captors all get off him and look around. He remains lying on the floor and moans with disgust.

            “I’m gonna need to take like fifty showers tonight,” he murmurs.

 

            Squee hops out of the shower. He grabs a towel and quickly dries off before putting on his pyjamas. He lays the towel on his head and grabs Shmee before the leaving the bathroom and heading into the living room. Johnny is sitting on the couch with Nugget watching TV. Squee joins them.

            His cellphone suddenly starts ringing. He answers a group call between him, Zim, Dib, and Pepito.

            “Are you guys watching the news?” Zim asks.

            “No,” Pepito scoffs.

            “Well, turn it on!”

            Squee sighs. He grabs the remote and changes the channel to City News.

            “In a miraculous development, all of the missing people have returned home,” the reporter explains, “none of them have any memory of the last few days. All they know is that they woke up together in a strange building in the South End of the city. They have no idea how they got there or why.”

            “Did you hear that?” Zim snaps, “miraculous development! None of them know we saved them! I told you we should’ve said something!”

            “Zim, don’t be selfish,” Squee scolds, “all that matters is that those people are safe.”

            “Yeah, besides nobody would’ve believed us anyway,” Pepito points out.

            “Yeah,” Dib agrees, “still it would be nice to get a little recognition once in a while.”

            “Exactly!” Zim exclaims.

           Squee smiles wearily. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow.” He hangs up and leans back in the couch, letting out large sigh.

            “Hey, so what happened to that creep that tried controlling everyone?” Johnny asks.

            “We gave him to Gaz,” Squee replies.

            “What? Why?”

            “She demanded it and none of us wanted to argue.”

            “So what exactly did she do with him?” Nny asks.

            “I’m not really sure,” Squee replies, “she said something about giving him a taste of his own medicine.”

            Meanwhile, at the Membrane house, Gaz is in her dad’s lab overseeing Toby as he types on the computer. He’s designing a game, one made especially for Gaz.

            “Good, good,” she nods approvingly, “now make the main enemies vampire piggies.”

            “No,” he whines, “I hate that game.”

            “Do it!” she snaps and threatens him with her shaking fist.

            He whimpers fearfully before adding it into the code.

            “You know, you have to let me go eventually,” he points out.

            “Not until you’ve learned your lesson,” she states, “and finished my game.”

            Toby moans with exhaustion. Behind him, Gaz giggles with victory and amusement.


	47. Fanatics 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pepito puts together a band.

Hellz Rebels

 

            Spring Break has started in the Nameless City. Students are freed from the shackles of education to enjoy a nice, relaxing two weeks.

            Squee is no exception. Since Spring Break started two days ago, he hasn’t left the house once, not even to do his usual grocery shopping. He’s barely moved from the couch except to use the bathroom, get food, and sleep in his bed. He’s taking lazy to a whole new level and he’s not the only one. Zim, Dib, and Gaz are the same. They’re determined to spend their Spring Break doing absolutely nothing. They deserve a break after all.

            Pepito, on the other hand, has a completely different mindset.

            He’s been making plans for quite some time and trying to decide when would be best to execute his plans. He decided on Spring Break since he wouldn’t have Skool to distract him. Now he is determined to go through with his plan. But he will need help.

            He grabs his cellphone and calls Squee’s number. It rings a couple times before he answers, mostly because he had to struggle to grab it from the coffee table without moving too much.

            “Hey,” he says.

            “Hey,” Pepito replies, “I need your help.”

            “With what?” he asks.

            “I wanna put together a band!”

            “Huh?” Squee questions as he sits up. “A band?”

            “Yeah!” Pepito replies excitedly, “I wanna find some people and put together a rock band. And I need your help to do it.”

            “This is awfully random,” he comments.

            “Not really. You know I’ve always wanted to be in a band.”

            “Yeah, but this is the first time I’ve heard you say you want to put one together.”

            “That’s the best way to get a good band,” Pepito points out.

            “I suppose,” Squee shrugs.

            “So, you in?”

            Squee glances at his pile of cartoon season DVDs. He’s almost tempted to say no in favour of staying in forever, but of course he could never do that.

            “Alright,” he sighs.

            “Awesome!” Pepito cheers, “meet me at my place.”

            They hang up. Squee glances down at his clothes. He’s been wearing his pyjamas all day and they’re covered in food crumbs.

            “I should change,” he declares as he stands up.

            He quickly changes into a pair of jeans, t-shirt, and sweater and slings his bag over his shoulder. He grabs the walkie-talkie off the end table to radio Johnny.

            “Nny, I’m going out for a bit,” he says.

            “Really?” Johnny exclaims jokingly, “alright, be careful. And don’t be afraid of that giant, flaming ball in the sky. It’s called the sun.”

            “Shut up,” Squee laughs. He puts the radio back and heads out.

            The walk to Pepito’s house is short and uneventful. His mom is working today, so Squee knocks briefly before inviting himself in. Pepito is sitting on the couch, tuning his Flying-V guitar which he has dubbed Hell’s Bane. He immediately jumps to his feet when Squee comes in.

            “So what’s the plan?” he asks.

            “Basically we find all members for my band before Spring Break ends,” Pepito replies.

            “Sounds easy enough,” Squee shrugs, “what members do you want?”

            “I was thinking the basic band layout: singer, lead guitarist, bass player, and drummer,” he explains, “I’m obviously the lead guitarist so we just need the other three.”

            “Well, if it’s a bass player you need,” Squee smirks, “I know a pretty good one.”

            A few minutes later they’re back in Grave Road, standing in front of Squee’s neighbor’s house. Squee’s beaming but Pepito looks a little less impressed.

            “Colton?” he questions, “I-I don’t know, Squee.”   

            “What’s wrong with Colton?” Squee asks.

            “Look, I know he’s like your best friend,” Pepito says quickly, “and I’m totally cool with that. But he’s kind of…uh…eh…adjectives escape me.”  
            “Well, however you may think of him he’s a great bass player,” Squee insists, “I’ve heard him play before. And wouldn’t it be better to have someone you know?”

            “I guess,” Pepito sighs.

            Squee nods affirmatively. They walk up to the front door and knock. Colton’s dad, Lloyd, answers.

            “Oh,” he grunts plainly.

            “Lloyd,” Squee nods respectfully, “is Colton here?”

            “Yeah, he’s in his room,” he replies as he lets them in. “He hasn’t left once since Spring Break started.”

            Squee and Pepito hurry through the living room and up the stairs. The closer they get to Colton’s bedroom, the more they can hear Japanese music playing. Pepito pinches the bridge of his nose and groans, “he’s such a weeb.”

            Squee smiles and knocks on the door. “Colton!”

            The music stops and Colton throws his door open with excitement. “Bro! ...and Pepito. What’s up?”

            “Pepito has something to ask you,” Squee replies.

            “Aight,” Colton shrugs and steps out of the doorway. “Come on in.”

            As they walk in, Pepito looks around with visible disgust. “Jeezus. This is like a shrine to sexually frustrated geeks everywhere.”

            “I am not sexually frustrated,” Colton snaps.

            “Please. I doubt any of those tissues was used to wipe your nose,” he scoffs as he motions to his wastebasket.

            “Pepito,” Squee scolds as he sits on the bed.

             “Alright, alright,” Pepito grunts and nods at the bass guitar. “You can play that?”

            “What, you think it’s just decoration?” Colton questions sarcastically.

            “Why not? Over half of these books are,” he retorts.

            “Pepito!” Squee snaps.

            He winces and takes a deep breath. “I am forming a rock band. You interested in joining?”

            “You really want me?” Colton questions sceptically.

            “Sure, assuming you can play well,” Pepito shrugs.

            “Well, I always thought it would be cool to be in a band,” he muses.

            “Great,” Pepito says as he sits next to Squee. “Care to show me what you got?”

            “What, right now?” Colton asks.

            “Yeah, why?”

            “No, nothing. This is just very sudden.”

            Colton takes his bass off the stand and puts the strap on over his shoulder. He plugs it into his amp and turns it on. He plays a simple song with only a couple notes. But it’s smooth and has a great beat. By the end Pepito is quite impressed.

            “Wow, nice job,” he comments.

            “Thanks,” Colton nods as he unplugs his bass and nudges the amp towards Pepito. “Your turn.”

            “What?” he questions.

            “You have to play too,” he clarifies, “it’s only fair.”

            “Uh,” Pepito murmurs as he nervously glances at Squee. “A-alright.”

            He takes his guitar off his back and sets it up on his chest. He plugs it into the amp and strums a couple of notes as he readies himself.

            Squee can’t help but watch intently. He’s never heard Pepito play before. He’s always refused when Squee asked.

            “Alright now keep in mind this is a bass amp,” Pepito says, “it would sound much better if I were playing through my own amp.”

            “I’ll remember,” Colton nods, “proceed.”

            Pepito nervously taps his fingers on his guitar. He takes a deep breath and starts playing.

            Just like Colton he plays a simple song smoothly with a nice beat. But Squee doesn’t notice the song, not really. He notices Pepito.

            His eyes are sparkling as he watches his fingers on the strings. His mouth keeps twitching, like he’s trying to fight a smile; like he’s trying to look all cool and stoic, but really he’s having an incredibly fun time. He looks so happy just from simply playing his guitar.

            Squee’s heart starts pounding. He covers his mouth as he feels a deep blush creeping onto his cheeks. He’s been in a relationship with Pepito for quite a few months now and he enjoys spending time with him and holding hands and all that couple-y stuff. But this is the first time he’s really swooned for him.

            Pepito finishes playing and Colton smiles. “You’re really good.”

            “Thanks,” Pepito grunts as he unplugs his guitar and sets it back on his back.

            “Alright, I’ll join your band,” he nods.

            “Excellent,” he beams, “now all we need is a drummer and a singer.”

            “Drummer and singer, huh?” Colton muses, “how are we gonna find them?”

            “Not really sure,” Pepito admits.

            “We could print some ads and post them around the city,” he suggests.

            “You got a printer?” Pepito questions.

            “No but we could go to the library.”

            “Sure, I guess,” he shrugs, “it’s as good an idea as any.”

            “Cool,” Colton smiles and trots out of his room. Pepito and Squee stand up and start to follow him.

            “So uh what’d you think of my playing?” Pepito asks.

            “It was…really amazing,” Squee replies.

            “Really?” Pepito questions, his face lighting up with glee.

            “Yeah,” Squee smiles.

            They stare at each for a second, both beaming brightly.

            “Hey!” Colton snaps as he peeks through the doorway. “No making out in my bedroom!”  
            “Hey, if we don’t do it it’ll never happen in here,” Pepito sneers as he walks out.

            “It might!” Colton barks.

            Squee sighs as he follows them down the hall.

            The three boys head to the closest library to make some ads. They read ‘Looking for drummer and singer for growing rock band’ along with Pepito’s contact information. They print off quite a large bundle to put up all around the city.

            “Hm, we’re gonna need some help putting these up,” Squee points out as they examine the large stacks of paper on the table.

            “Yeah,” Pepito nods and takes out his cellphone. “I’ll call Zim. He’ll help.”

            Zim agrees to assist Pepito’s endeavour and he, Dib, and Gaz drive over in Membrane’s car. They all meet outside the library.

            “What’s this for again?” Zim asks as he looks at the ad.

            “I’m making a band,” Pepito replies proudly.

            “A band? We don’t have time for that,” Zim scolds.

            “There’s always time for music,” he says suavely.

            “Hm,” Gaz muses as he examines the ad thoughtfully. “You know…nah, never mind. Forget it.”

            Everyone looks at her curiously but drops it nonetheless.

            “We can hang these up in the North End,” Dib says.

            “Awesome. Thanks, guys,” Pepito smiles.

            So Zim, Dib, and Gaz go back to the North End while Pepito, Squee, and Colton stick to the South End. They spend the rest of the day hanging up as many ads as they can as spread out as they can. They finish by evening and go home for the night, resolving to meet up again tomorrow.

            In the morning- closer to noon than the actual morning- Colton and Squee set off to Pepito’s house, Colton bringing his bass. Pepito is waiting for them in the living room, aimlessly playing with his guitar. They all sit on the couch together.

            “Nobody’s contacted me yet,” he says.

            “They haven’t even been up for a full 24 hours yet,” Colton points out, “be patient.”

            “Patience isn’t his strong suit,” Squee comments.

            Pepito’s cellphone suddenly starts ringing. He immediately answers it without checking the caller ID.

            “Hello?” he exclaims.

            “Hey,” Carmen replies curtly.

            “Oh, hey, Carmen,” he says with visible disappointment.

            “What’s with these ads about you looking for a drummer?” she asks demandingly.

            “I’m forming a band,” he replies, “why?”     

            “Why didn’t you ask me?”

            “Ask you what?”

            “To join your band!” Carmen snaps, “I’m a drummer.”

            “Wha-you are?” Pepito exclaims.

            “Yeah,” she grunts, “I’m sure I told you that before.”

            “Mm I don’t know. I probably would’ve remembered if you did,” he argues.

            “Whatever. Can I join or not?” she asks.

            “I have to hear you play first.”

            “Fine. Come over then.”

            “Alright. We’ll be right over,” Pepito declares before hanging up.

            “What was that?” Colton asks.

            “Carmen apparently plays drums,” he replies.

            “Really?” Squee questions. “Did I know that? I feel like I should’ve known that.”

            “Whatever the case, she’s auditioning for the role as drummer,” Pepito states, “we just gotta go to her place.”

            “Sweet,” Colton grins. They all jump to their feet and head off to Carmen’s place.

            Carmen lives in an apartment with her dad. It’s small with not much clutter- they do their best to keep it clean. Carmen’s bedroom is no exception. It’s kept neat and tidy with only her bed, a dresser, and her drum set.

            “So how long have you played drums?” Pepito asks as they settle on her bed.

            “Years,” she replies, “obviously I had to stop during the two years I was trapped in the underground classrooms. But as soon as I was able, I got back into it.”

            “Alright. Show us what you got,” he says.

            She sits on her stool in front of her drum set. She twirls her drumsticks through her fingers before she starts playing.

            She keeps a simple steady beat on her snare and bass drum at first then slowly adds in her hi-hat and a cymbal. It seems like she’s keeping a slow rhythm until she suddenly starts beating on the toms and making a beat that shakes the walls. She ends the song by crashing her cymbals and the boys are almost panting with adrenaline.

            “That was awesome!” Squee cheers.

            “Yeah,” Colton agrees, “and a chick drummer’s pretty hot.”

            “Then I guess it’s unanimous,” Pepito smirks, “Carmen, you’re our drummer.”

            “Awesome!” she exclaims excitedly.

            “Now we just need a singer,” Colton points out.

            “Okay, we made this mistake before so do we know anyone who’s a singer?” Squee asks.

            All four of them take that question into deep consideration, but no names come to mind.

            “I guess we’ll just have to wait until somebody auditions,” Pepito shrugs.

            They don’t have to wait long. Over the next few days, lots of people call wanting to audition for the singer role, mostly male teenagers. Pepito invites them all to his house at separate times to hear them sing.

            They’re all very good and have nice voices, but Pepito doesn’t accept any of them. After four days he practically gives up and has his friends remove all of their ads from around the city.

            He lies on the floor of Zim’s house, mentally beaten and exhausted. Zim, Dib, Gaz, Squee, Colton, and Carmen sit nearby, watching him.

            “Twenty people,” he laments, “I listened to twenty people and not a single one of them was what I was looking for.”

            “That’s surprising,” Dib comments, “I figured there would be lots of potential singers in this city.”

            “Well, it’s not like they were bad,” Pepito says quickly, “they were all actually really good. They were just…generic and mainstream. I want somebody unique and special.”

            “Do you think you can afford to be so picky?” Zim questions.

            “Hey!” Pepito snaps as he sits up. “I’ll be as picky as I want. This is my band we’re talking about. Ten years from now I don’t wanna be on stage with them, having thousands of people chanting our name, only to think I settled for my bandmates.”

            “Okay,” Gaz grunts as she stands up. “I didn’t even want to mention this but I might be able to help you.”

            “What, are you gonna tell me that you can sing?” Pepito asks sceptically.

            “Of course not,” she scoffs, “but I know someone who does.”

            “Who?”

            “Maddie.”

            “Maddie?” Pepito questions with surprise. “Your gamer friend? The super nervous girl that always spends lunchtime in the boiler room?”

            “Yup,” Gaz nods affirmatively.

            “She can sing?”

            “And play piano,” she states, “she’s very good.”

            “Hm,” Pepito muses as he rubs his chin.

           “But!” Gaz says quickly, “I can’t guarantee she’ll want to join your band or even sing for you. She is very jumpy. She’s like a deer.”

            “Okay,” he nods, “can we at least go see her?”

            Gaz nods and everyone heads to her house. It takes nearly an hour to walk there from Zim’s house.

            They all stop at the front door and Gaz knocks. Maddie’s mother answers.

            “Oh, Gaz,” she says then glares at everyone else suspiciously. “And…others.”

            “Is Maddie home?” Gaz asks.

            “Yes,” she nods and turns into the house. “Madeleine! Your…friends are here!”

            The mother walks off while the kids patiently wait for Maddie on the front step. She shows up in a couple seconds, a confused expression on her face when she sees everyone.

            “Oh. Hi, guys,” she says.

            “Hello, Maddie,” Gaz smiles.

            “Maddie, I have something I’d like to talk to you about,” Pepito says.

            “Um alright,” she nods hesitantly, “come on in.”

            She leads them up the stairs and into her bedroom. Everyone spreads out a bit while she and Pepito sit on the bed.

            “First off, I don’t believe you guys have met,” Pepito says, “Maddie, this is Carmen and Colton. Carmen, Colton, this is Madeleine, or Maddie for short.”

            “Hi,” Carmen smile sweetly while Colton waves.

            “Hello,” Maddie nods politely.

            “Now then, the three of us are forming a rock band,” Pepito explains, “and I was told you sing.”

            “What?” Maddie exclaims with surprise and looks accusingly at Gaz. “You told them?”

            Gaz shrugs innocently.

            “All we need is a singer, Maddie,” Pepito states, “I would really love it if you sang for us.”

            “Oh, uh, I don’t know,” she mutters nervously, “I’ve never sang in front of so many people before.”

            “It’s really not bad,” Carmen says reassuringly, “once you start playing and sink into the music, you don’t even notice everyone else.”

            “Well,” Maddie murmurs as she nervously rubs her arm. “A-alright. I’ll…give it a shot.”

            Pepito smiles excitedly.

            “But I hope you don’t mind if I play piano accompaniment,” she adds.

            “Not at all,” he replies.    

            She smiles shakenly and sits at the edge of piano, in front of her keyboard. She turns it on and plays a couple of notes, letting the tunes calm her down.

            She shoves her long bangs back, revealing her surprisingly cute face. Most of them have seen it before, but it’s no less surprising.

            She starts playing a slow, gentle song, holding each note for a few seconds. She starts singing after about a minute. It’s a song none of them have heard; she probably wrote it. The lyrics are very sad and have a lonely feel to them and her voice just adds to the effect. It hits them all in the heart- even Zim in the squeedly spooch.

            And then, in one fell swoop, she slams her hands on the keys and the song picks up. The entire mood changes but not in a bad way. It almost feels organic. She’s suddenly singing a toe-tapping, hips swaying tune and it’s damn enjoyable.

            She ends the song by fading out slowly on her keyboard. She presses her hands to her hips and jerks her head down, her bangs swinging back over her face. Everybody just stares at her, completely speechless.

            “That…was…awesome!” Pepito cheers as he jumps to his feet. “You were incredible! Your voice, the passion! I was breathless!”

            “Um th-thank you,” Maddie mumbles.

            “I told you she was good,” Gaz gloats.

            “Okay, Maddie, tell the truth,” Pepito orders, “are you at all interested in joining my band?”

            “I-I don’t know,” she replies, “could-could you maybe play?”

            “I mean I’d be happy too but I don’t have an amp,” Pepito points out.

            “Oh, I might be able to help with that,” Zim says, “my PAK should be suitable.”

            “Your PAK can double as an amp?” Pepito questions.

            “Probably,” he shrugs. The hatches on his PAK open up; a cord tumbles out of the main one and a small speaker pops out of either small ones.

            Pepito takes his guitar off his back and plugs the cord in. A shock travels up Zim’s spine and he shudders.

            “Ooooh, easy,” he growls.

            Pepito strums a couple notes. The sound comes out clearly through the speakers. It almost sounds better than his actual amp.

            “Alright,” he grunts and starts playing.

            Just like last time he plays a simple song but his passion and enjoyment is evident through the way he plays. Once again Squee finds himself swooning. He covers his mouth to hide his blush and sits down before he gets woozy. But he’s not the only one who’s impressed. Everyone in the room is watching Pepito play with wide, happy eyes. Zim even looks proud, like a family member.

            Pepito finishes playing. He unplugs his guitar and hangs it off his back. Zim’s speakers sink back into his PAK. Everyone looks at Maddie for some sort of confirmation.

            She’s staring at Pepito, her mouth hanging open a little. If anyone could see past her hair and glasses, they would also notice her eyes are wide.

            She suddenly gets a very scared look on her face. She jumps to her feet and starts vigorously shaking her head. “No, no, no I’m sorry! I can’t! I can’t do it!” she squeals.

            “Wai-what?” Pepito exclaims.

            “You need to go. Please,” she begs as she clutches her fists.

            “Alright, time to go,” Gaz announces and starts ushering everyone out of the room.

            “But-wait! Maddie!” Pepito shouts hopelessly. Maddie ignores him as Gaz leads them out of the house.

            They all go to the Membrane house, since it’s closer. Pepito lets out a huge sigh as he collapses face first on the couch.

            “No, no, no,” he moans, “I can’t believe she didn’t want to join. I thought for sure we could convince her. She was perfect. Perfect! We’ll never find someone like her.”

            “She was really good,” Colton agrees, “but she also clearly has crimpling anxiety. I doubt she would fit well in a band.”

            Pepito just sighs miserably.

            “Would it make you feel any better if I told you she feels bad?” Gaz asks.

            “Maybe,” he replies, “why?”

            “She just texted me saying she feels really bad,” she says as she holds up her phone.

            “Oh,” he mumbles as he sits up. “well…it-it’s fine. If she doesn’t wanna join, she doesn’t wanna join. It’s not a big deal. We’ll find someone else.”

            “Right,” Carmen nods as she sits with him. “Maybe you could call one of those people who auditioned.”

            “Maybe,” he shrugs, “I do have some of their numbers.”

            They start to discuss some options when the doorbell suddenly rings. Dib gets up and answers it. Standing on the front step is a very nervous- even more so than usual- Maddie.

            “Oh, hey, Maddie,” Dib says with surprise.

            “Is Pepito here?” she asks.

            “Uh, yeah,” he replies as he steps out of the way, letting Pepito into the doorway.

            “I just wanted to apologize for my um sudden outburst,” she says.

            “Aw, it’s okay,” Pepito smiles.

            “It’s just…joining your band would be really cool…but,” she stammers and nervously plays with her hair.

            Everyone looks at her with confusion.

            “No, it’s nothing,” Maddie says quickly, “I’m sorry.” She suddenly runs off, out of the yard and down the street.

            “She seems more distressed than usual,” Gaz comments.

            Squee rubs his chin thoughtfully before coming to a decision. “I’m gonna go talk to her,” he states.

            “What? Squee?” Pepito questions but Squee ignores him as he slips by and runs after her.

            Maddie got quite the head start, but Squee catches up quickly. He calls her name as he gains on her. She stops and waits for him.

            “What is it?” she asks curiously.

            “Uh do you maybe wanna talk?” he asks carefully.

            She looks surprised by the request. Then she quickly looks away, nervous and shy as she plays with her hair. “I don’t know. Maybe?”

            Squee watches her for a second before looking around. He spots a convenience store close by with a sign advertising BrainFreezys.

            Squee smiles. “Hey, do you like BrainFreezys?” he asks.

            “Sure,” Maddie replies.

            “I’ll buy you one,” he declares as he points at the store.

            Maddie smiles shakenly. They head to the store and both get a medium cherry BrainFreezy. They sip on them steadily and walk quietly until they reach a park, then sit on a bench.

            Maddie absentmindedly scratches her cup as she takes a deep breath. “It’s…it’s not like I’m against joining Pepito’s band. I-I think it would be really cool. And I don’t think I’m not a good singer or anything. I know I am. I know I’m good at singing and piano, just like how I’m good at gaming. I am aware of my talents.”

            Squee lowers his drink from his lips as he listens intently.

            “It’s just…” She trails off and sighs. “I don’t know. I just don’t like the idea of being paired up with people like Pepito. Not because him, because of me. When I’m compared with someone like him, who’s rightfully confident, I just feel…”

            “Inadequate,” Squee states.

            She looks at him with surprise. He immediately becomes flustered as he looks away.

            “Uh it-it’s just,” he stammers, “I…sometimes feel that way too.”

            Maddie looks at him curiously.

            “I know I’m not as big of a hindrance as I see myself,” he says, “I know that when things go from bad to worse, it’s not my fault. I know I’m not a liability. But Zim, Dib, Gaz, Pepito, and Tenna, Devi, and Nny are all so strong and brave and I’m…not. When I compare myself to them I just can’t help but think I’m…useless.”

            They stare at the ground and let out a collective sigh.

            “You know,” Maddie says, “Gaz has told me about some of the adventures you guys have been on. She doesn’t go into major detail, but just based on her stories, I never once thought you were useless.”

            Squee smiles weakly, “thanks. And, at the risk of putting you on a guilt trip, Pepito was devastated that you said no. He truly believes you’d be the perfect singer for their band. But that doesn’t mean you should join. He really wouldn’t mind if you didn’t.”

            “Yeah,” she sighs and smiles, “thanks, Squee.”

            “For what?” he questions.

            “For listening and talking,” she replies, “I never have people to talk to. I mean I have Gaz now but she never understood my problems like you do. It’s just nice having someone to relate to.”

            “Oh,” he says, “well uh you’re welcome, I guess.”

            Maddie smiles and stands up. “Come on.”

            “Where are we going?” Squee asks.

            “Back to your friends,” she replies, “I got a decision to make before I come to my senses.”

            Squee smiles and they hurry back to the Membrane house. They don’t bother knocking and just let themselves in. Everyone is still in the living room, just milling around. They all look up as Squee and Maddie walk in.

            Squee splits off from Maddie as she faces Pepito. He looks at her with a mix of surprise and curiosity.

            She takes a deep breath. “Pepito. I would be happy to be the singer in your band.”

            “Really?” Pepito exclaims happily.

            “Yeah,” she smiles.

            “That’s awesome!” he cheers as he jumps with joy. Colton and Carmen are just as excited as they join them in the middle of the room.

            “We’re a band!” Pepito exclaims as he punches the air with excitement. Colton, Carmen, and Maddie laugh happily.

            “So what’s your band gonna be called then?” Zim asks.

            “That part I was saving for last,” Pepito replies as he takes his guitar off his back. “Check it out.” He flips it around so everyone can read the words he painted on the back.

            “I like it,” Carmen smirks.

            “It’s fitting,” Colton comments.

            “It definitely suits a rock band,” Maddie nods.

            “Then it’s decided,” Pepito grins, “someday this name will be up in lights.”

            The four of them beam with excitement, their passion practically dripping off of them in globs. Some people may argue that it’s a silly teenage dream that won’t ever see the light of day. But watching them, it almost feels like their name could someday be up in lights.

            _Hellz Rebels._


	48. Fanatics 34

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Devi's mom sets her up with a mysterious man.

Bad Dates Devi

 

           It’s no mystery that when it comes to bad dates, Devi holds the record of the worst ever had. Whether he died in a horrific- and hilarious- car accident, turned out to be a zombie, shat himself in the middle of dinner, or tried to kill her Devi’s dates never work out. It is for this reason that she stopped trying at all. She has stopped asking guys out and accepting dates and refuses blind dates from Tenna. She is completely ready to grow old and die alone.

            However there are other people in her life who have a different mindset.

            It’s not Tenna. No, Tenna has long given up trying to set Devi up with someone. This person is a little more…personal.

            “You need to marry someone already.”         

            “Mom,” Devi groans as she rubs her eyebrow.

            “Don’t ‘mom’ me,” Devi’s mom, Marylyn, scolded through Devi’s phone headset.

            “I don’t need to marry anyone yet,” Devi insisted, “I’m only 25.”

            “You mean you’re already 25,” Marylyn argued, “pretty soon you’ll be 30 and where will you be? Living by yourself in a crummy apartment with nothing but you paintings?”

            “My apartment’s not crummy,” Devi mumbled.

            “You need to start thinking about the future: settling down with a husband and kids.”

            “But I don’t want any of that. Not right now at least.”

            “‘Right now’ is slipping away, Devi, and pretty soon there won’t be much time left.”

            Devi sighs with annoyance as she leans back in her chair.

            “I’m just trying to look out for you,” Marylyn points out.

            “I know,” Devi nods.

            “Good,” she booms, “because I want you to meet this absolutely perfect boy. He’s quite well-off with a good job and-.”

            “Mom, no!” Devi snaps, “I told you I don’t want you setting me up with anyone.”

            “How else are you going to meet a good guy?”

            “I’m perfectly capable of doing that on my own,” she insists, “anyway, Mom, I gotta go.”

            “But, Devi-.”

            “Bye, Mom,” she says quickly before hanging up. She takes her headset off and groans as she rubs her forehead.

            Devi’s mom, Marylyn, is very old-fashioned. She believes all women are homemakers, born to be mothers and wives, and she taught those same lessons to her daughters. Devi’s older sister stuck to it like glue; Devi on the other hand clearly has some differing opinions.

           Devi was never much for homemaking. She’s not a very good cook and as for cleaning…well, just take a look at her apartment. Not to mention she’s incredibly independent and has a mind of her own. She could never just willfully bow her head to anyone, let alone someone she has to call her ‘husband’. So her and her mother often clashed. They still loved each other, despite their differences.

           

            Devi is busy painting her angst away. She’s making a little monster with big eyes and claws twice its size. It’s kind of cute.

            There’s a sudden knock on her door. She drops her paintbrush into its water cup and wipes her hands on a rag as she goes to answer it.

            She’s expecting it to be Tenna, but instead she gets someone much worse.

            “Hi, Devi,” Marylyn sings.

            “Mom?” Devi exclaims, “what-why-what are you doing here?”

            “I wanted to introduce you to someone,” she replies as a man steps into the doorway. He’s broad shouldered and muscular with short, nicely combed blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes. He is quite handsome.

            “This is Kevin,” Marylyn says, “he works in marketing and makes quite a bit of money. And he’s single.”

            “It’s nice to meet you,” Kevin smiles. Devi just stares at him, flabbergasted and slightly annoyed.

            “Well, I’ll be leaving him here with you then,” Marylyn declares as she starts walking away.

            “What? Mom!” Devi exclaims as she peeks out the doorway.

            “I hope you two hit it off!” she calls back as she disappears down the hall. Devi stares after her in shock. Then she glances at Kevin. He smiles at her. Devi sighs, defeated, and invites him in.

            A few minutes later, Devi is one the phone with Tenna while Kevin looks around curiously in her living room.

            “Your mom just left him there?” Tenna questions.

            “Yes,” Devi whispers so Kevin doesn’t hear. “She’s a tyrant, I swear.”

            “What’s he look like? Is he cute?” she asks.

            “Yeah, he’s pretty good looking,” Devi shrugs.

            “Alright, I’m coming down,” Tenna declares and hangs up.

            Devi sighs as she hangs up her phone. Tenna footsteps can be heard on the floor above, stomping across the hall, down the stairs, and stopping right outside Devi’s door. She opens it before Tenna can even knock.

            “Hi there,” Tenna chimes as she waves happily at Kevin.

            “Oh, hello,” Kevin smiles politely.

            “I’m Tenna, Devi’s best friend.”

            “I’m Kevin. It’s nice to meet you.”

            They shake hands, beaming at each other. Once they split off, Tenna immediately races to Devi’s side.

            “Devi, he’s gorgeous,” she squeals quietly.

            “I mean, yeah he’s got good looks,” Devi shrugs.

            “He also seems really nice,” Tenna adds, “so what’s the problem?”

            “I’m just really uncomfortable with this whole thing,” she admits, “I don’t wanna be alone with him.”

            “Well I’m here,” she points out.

            “Yeah but you’re not really much help with this situation,” Devi points out.

            “Fine. What if we take him to a mall something?”

            “I don’t know. That could be translated into a date.”

            The girls consider possibilities while Kevin admires a piece of art on the wall.

            Tenna snaps her fingers with realization and smirks. “I got it.”

            A few minutes later, Devi stops her car outside Johnny’s house. She, Tenna, and Kevin hop out and march up the front walk.

            “Uh where is this again?” Kevin asks as he eyes the boards on the windows.

            “A friend of mine lives here,” Devi replies, “I just wanna introduce you.”

            The girls burst through the front door announcing, “coming in,” as they do so. Kevin follows behind, rather unsure. Johnny and Squee are sitting on the couch with Nugget and Shmee. They’re hardly surprised by Devi and Tenna’s surprise visits anymore. But they are surprised to see the unfamiliar guest.

            “Who is that?” Johnny asks suspiciously as he stands up.

            “Johnny, this is Kevin,” Devi states, “Kevin, that is my friend Squee and that’s Johnny.”

            “It’s nice to meet you,” Kevin smiles.

            “Right,” Johnny grunts.

            Devi splits off farther into the living room while Kevin and Tenna stand by the couch. Tenna is talking about all kinds of random things. Kevin pretends to pay attention but he keeps glancing at Squee, who keeps staring at him.

            “Who is this guy?” Johnny asks as he walks up to Devi.

            “Some guy my mom wants to hook me up with,” she replies.

            “Why’d you bring him here?” he questions then blinks, “oh, wait. I get it. You don’t wanna be with this guy, right? Okay, okay. Blink twice if you want me to kill him.”

            “No!” Devi snaps and punches him in the shoulder. Johnny flinches back and rubs his arm, a small pout on his lip. “I don’t want you to hurt him. I just didn’t want to be alone with him.”

            “So you don’t like the guy?” Nny questions.

            “Well…he seems like a nice person,” she shrugs.

            “But you don’t wanna be with him?”

            “No. I’m not interested in a relationship right now,” Devi replies, “I just wish my mom could understand that.”  
            “Well, then there’s an easy way to solve your dilemma without any violence,” Nny states.

            “What’s that?”

            “Just go on a date.”

            “What?” Devi snaps, “haven’t you been listening?”

            “Devi, if you go on a date with him something horrible will happen that will make the two of you never want to see each other again,” Johnny explains, “trust me, I know your track record with dates. I experienced it, for fuck sakes.”

            “You know, I wonder why I still hang around you,” she mutters.

            “Me too,” he nods.

            Johnny glances at everyone at the couch and immediately notices Squee and Nugget’s behaviour. Squee looks freaked out as he holds Shmee close to his face and Nugget looks pissed, her fur standing on end and her claws out. They’re both looking at Kevin.

            Now, Squee and Nugget are often put off by strangers, but not like this. They sense something.

            Johnny cocks his head and lifts his eyebrow curiously.

            Tenna finally stops babbling for a minute, giving Kevin the opening he needs to acknowledge Squee.

            “Hey, little man,” he smiles, “that’s a cute bear you got there.”

            “Uh thanks,” Squee mutters.

            “Yeah, I had a bear when I was younger too,” Kevin says, “what’s its name?”

            “Um Shmee.”

            “Your cat’s cute too,” he comments as he kneels down and sticks out his finger to Nugget. “Here, kitty, kitty.”

            Nugget yowls and swipes her claw at him. He immediately retracts hand and jumps back.

            “S-sorry!” Squee exclaims as he pulls Nugget back. “She uh doesn’t like strangers much.”

            “Nah, it’s alright,” Kevin smiles, “she didn’t get me.”

            “Get him out of here,” Johnny hisses.

            “Well, we should go,” Devi says loudly as she stares pushing Tenna and Kevin to the door. “Come on, Kevin, I’ll drive you home.”

            “Oh, already?” Kevin asks.

            “Yeah, well, you know it’s getting pretty late,” she points out.

            “It’s only five o’clock,” he retorts.

            “Yup, I have work in the morning,” she states, “can’t be partying all evening, you know.”

            “Oh, alright,” Kevin nods, “then maybe this Saturday we can go to dinner together.”

            “Oh, I don’t know. Saturday night isn’t really a good date night for me because you know it’s the weekend and…busy-busy times those weekend nights and…” Devi sighs, defeated once again, and nods. “Yeah, yeah okay. We can go to dinner.”

            “Excellent. I’m looking forward to it,” Kevin beams as he marches to the car. Tenna waves happily to Squee and Johnny while Devi just kind of half waves as they close the door.

           Johnny and Squee stare after for a second before Johnny spins around and sits on the couch.

            “So what’s wrong with him?” he asks.

            “Huh?” Squee questions.

            “Don’t play dumb, Squee,” Nny grunts, “you and Nugget were freaking out. I know for a fact that means something’s going on. I kind of use it as a warning system. So, there’s something wrong with him, right?”

            “I-I don’t know,” Squee says, “I mean I think so. There’s definitely something…not right about him. Shmee said so too. He’s not…normal. I just-I can’t tell what it is. But I really don’t think Devi should go out with him.”

            “Then you should tell her,” Johnny points out.

            “But what if I’m wrong?” Squee squeaks, “what if I warn her away from this guy and it turns out there’s nothing wrong with him and I just ruined a perfect relationship before it even began?”

            “Please. It’s impossible for Devi to have a perfect relationship,” Nny scoffs.

            “You don’t know that,” he argues, “this could be like her soulmate.”

            “But you don’t really believe that, do you?” he challenges.

            Squee doesn’t say anything. He just sighs and runs his fingers through his hair.

 

            Squee’s in a group call with Zim, Dib, and Pepito. He just finished telling them about his worries and like good friends, they listen intently.

            “So what’s wrong with him?” Dib asks.

            “I don’t know. It’s just a feeling,” Squee replies.

            “Well, Squee, your instincts haven’t been wrong before,” Zim points out, “we should look into it.”

            “But how would we find him?” he asks, “I only know his name and face.”

          “He probably lives on the North End,” Pepito suggests, “that narrows our search by like half.”

            “But that’s still a lot of people,” Dib points out, “to find him we’d need someone who can travel fast and uninterrupted as they search.”  
            “Oh, wait,” Squee exclaims, “I got an idea. I’ll call you guys back.”

            He hangs up and scurries out of his bedroom.

            A few minutes later, Johnny pulls the car over outside South Vector’s Cemetery.

            “Thanks, Nny,” Squee says as he gets out of the car. “I’ll be quick.”

            He closes the passenger side door and hurries up to the locked gate. He climbs it with ease and jumps over to the other side, landing in a crouch. He stands up and looks around.

            The cemetery isn’t nearly as scary as it used to be now that Squee knows these ghosts aren’t dangerous. They ignore him as he hurries through the yard to a small gravestone by a withered tree.

            “Freddy,” he says as he stands by the grave.

            The ghost boy pokes his head out of the ground. He smiles when he sees Squee and floats out. “Hey, Squee.”

            “Hey, Freddy,” he smiles, “I need a favour.”

            “Always happy to help,” Freddy says, “what can I do for you?”

            “There’s somebody I need you to find.”

            Squee quickly tells him about Kevin, describing his features as best he can. Freddy listens closely before nodding.

            “Yeah, I can find him,” he declares, “I’ll come tell you when I do.”

            “Thanks, Freddy,” Squee smiles. They leave the graveyard together. Freddy flies off into the distance while Squee gets back into the car.

 

            Zim, Dib, Gaz, Pepito, and Squee wait around in Zim’s living room for their ghostly scout. They’ve been passing the time watching TV or playing games while Pepito strums absentmindedly on his guitar. They’ve been waiting for an hour.

            Freddy’s head suddenly pops out of the floor right by Pepito’s feet. He exclaims with surprise as the ghost boy floats into the room.

            “Oh, he’s here,” Squee announces. Everybody stands up and gathers around him.

            “I found Kevin,” Freddy declares, “or at least I found someone who looks like him and shares the same name.”

            “Where is he?” Squee asks.

            “At a girl’s house. Westgrove Street 2331,” he replies.

            “Westgrove Street 2331,” he repeats for everyone to hear.

            “I know where that is,” Dib says.

            “Great, let’s go,” Zim orders.

            They leave Zim’s house and climb into Membrane’s car. Dib drives them to their destination and they arrive in a matter of minutes. They leave the car about a block away and walk over to the house.

            “I think they were on some sort of date or something and the girl invited him over,” Freddy says.

            “He’s going out with other girls two days before his date with Devi?” Squee questions, “that seems awfully sleazy.”

            They creep around the house, peeking through the windows in search of their target. They finally find him in the living room, sitting on the couch with a beautiful blonde woman. They’re talking and she’s laughing at everything he says.

            “Man, she totally wants to get with him,” Pepito comments.

            “Looks like she’s gonna get her wish,” Gaz grunts as the two of them stand up and walk deeper into the house. The kids sneak along the side of the house until they spot them through another window. They’re in the girl’s bedroom now, making out quite energetically.

            “Ugh, human relations,” Zim groans with disgust.

            Kevin shoves the girl onto the bed and they both grin hungrily as he climbs on top of her.

            “We really shouldn’t be watching this,” Dib points out.

            “Wait, hold on. Something’s happening,” Squee warns.

            Kevin has the girl pinned to the bed. His expression is nothing short of terrifying and she’s noticed it too. She looks really scared and is starting to struggle.

            His shirt suddenly rips apart as two large, demonic wings tear out of his back. His teeth suddenly expand into large fangs as long horns extend from the top of his head and his feet transform into hooves.

            The girl starts screaming and the kids can only watch, shocked and speechless.

            Kevin opens his mouth, his fangs dripping with saliva. He bites the woman’s head and tears her face right off. Blood splatters all over the room. The kids shutter before falling to their knees and ducking under the window.

           “Holy shit,” Pepito mutters as rubs his head. They all tremble as they just stare at the ground.

            They suddenly flinch at a loud clatter from the bedroom and look up at the window. It’s been dyed completely red by the woman’s blood.

            “We gotta get out of here,” Zim orders.

            Without another word, they scramble out of the yard and back to the car. The drive back is quiet and tense as they all try to process what they just saw. The freaking out doesn’t start until they’re inside the Membrane house.

            “He ate her!” Squee exclaims, “he just-just ate her!”  
            “He’s a monster, a demon!” Pepito adds.

            “An incubus,” Dib corrects.

            “What?” everyone questions as they look at him. He’s coming down the stairs holding a book. He opens it on the coffee table and everyone gathers around him.

            “An incubus,” he says again as he points to a drawing of a man with horns, wings, and hooves. “They’re mythological creatures that engage in sexual activity with women. It doesn’t say anything about them eating their victims, but I guess legends can’t cover the full truth.”

            “And Devi’s gonna go on a date with this thing!” Squee exclaims, “I can’t let that happen!”

            “Squee, calm down,” Zim scolds, “we have to be smart about this. If that thing finds out we ruined his chances with Devi, it might come after us.”

            Squee takes a deep breath and nods. “Okay, you’re right. We should try to avoid direct confrontation is possible.”

            “Actually I was thinking we just sneak up on this thing and kill it in its sleep or something,” Zim clarifies.

            Everybody glares at him with a very unimpressed look.

            “No, Squee’s right,” Dib says, “we should avoid direct confrontation. I’m not sure we’d stand a chance against that thing.”      

            “So what should we do then?” Zim asks.

            “We’ll stake out Devi’s date,” Squee replies, “we’ll make sure she’s safe and only intervene if something’s about to happen.”

            “Intervene how?” Gaz questions.

            Nobody has an answer.

            “Okay, we’ll meet up on Saturday and follow Devi,” Zim declares.

            Everybody nods affirmatively.

           

            Saturday evening. Devi’s date would’ve just started. Zim, Dib, Gaz, Pepito, and Squee are packed in a backseat of a car with Gir, Minimoose, Nugget, and Shmee as it drives down the street.

            “So I had Freddy search all of the nicest restaurants,” Squee says, “once he finds them, he’ll come get us.”

            “Okay, I get that,” Zim nods then points at the front seats with annoyance. “But how come they’re here?”

            He’s referring to Johnny and Tenna. They glance back at Zim but otherwise ignore him.

            “Tenna is Devi’s best friend and so is Nny, kind of,” Squee explains, “they deserve to know about this. Besides if something…happens I think Nny could really help.”

            Zim scoffs but otherwise doesn’t say anything.

            Freddy’s head suddenly pokes through the roof of the car. Pepito, Squee, Gir, and Nugget look up at him with surprise.

            “Ghosty head!” Gir sings.

            “I found them,” Freddy declares.

            “Good. Lead the way,” Squee states.

            Freddy flies in front of the car and Squee tells Johnny directions. They follow the ghost through the restaurant district of the city before coming to a stop outside a really expensive, really exclusive French restaurant.

            “Oh, ‘Crème al a Crème’,” Tenna chirps, “ritzy.”

            “Doesn’t this place have a dress code?” Johnny asks, “I can’t see Devi being comfortable in here.”

            “We need to get a look inside,” Squee says.

            “Right. Everyone, go into stalker mode,” Zim orders.

            Johnny pulls the car over a few buildings away from the restaurant. They jump out and hurry down the sidewalk, ducking behind a nearby vehicle as they spot Devi and Kevin getting out of car. He’s opened her door and is holding it for her.

            “Look at him, acting all gentlemanly,” Pepito scoffs with disgust. “But we know the truth.”

            “What do we do?” Tenna asks.

            “Stay quiet and watch,” Zim replies, “we’ll only intervene if we have to. We don’t want to set off that monster. Everyone, understand?”

            Almost everybody nods in agreement. Squee is the only one who doesn’t.

            “Squee?” Zim questions.

            He ignores him or just doesn’t hear him as he watches Devi and Kevin together. He looks terrified as he starts trembling.

            Kevin is saying something. He holds his hand out to Devi. She looks at it with uncertainty before smiling shakenly and slowly reaching for it.

            Squee’s eyes widen.         

            “No!” he shouts as he jumps to his feet, startling everyone around him. Devi freezes just before taking Kevin’s hand and looks at him with surprise.

            “Squee?” she questions. He races towards her and grabs onto her.

            “Devi! You-you can’t go with this guy!” he exclaims, “he isn’t-he’s not-he’s-he’s a monster! You gotta stay away from him!”

            “What? Kid, what are you talking about?” Kevin questions.

            “I saw you!” Squee snaps as he points at him with his trembling hand. “I saw what you did to that girl! You won’t do the same to Devi!”

            “Squee, Squee, calm down,” Tenna says quickly as she, Johnny, and Nugget run up to them.

            “Devi, you-you believe me, right?” Squee questions as he looks up at her with his big brown eyes.

            She looks down at him and smiles. “Of course, Squee.”

            “What?” Kevin exclaims, flabbergasted. “Devi, you can’t be serious! There’s obviously something wrong with him! You’re just gonna blow off our date because he said so?”

            Devi glares at him. “Sorry, Kevin. I didn’t really wanna go out with you anyway. And if Squee says I shouldn’t, then I won’t.”

            Squee smiles with relief. She pats his head and they start to walk away.

            “No!” Kevin exclaims, “I won’t stand for this! Do you have any idea how many hoops I had to jump through to get you to go out with me? First your judgemental mother, and then you and your untrusting nature! Do you have any idea how nice I had to act? All so I could taste virgin blood!”         

            Everybody looks at him with surprise and fear as he starts transforming, his demonic nature slowly revealing itself.

            “Forget tradition,” he snarls, “I’m eating you right here and now.”  
            His wings, horns, and hooves show themselves entirely as he finishes transforming. He glares at Devi with angry red eyes and snarls, saliva dripping from his fangs.

            “Battalion, move!” Zim orders. He, Dib, Gaz, and Pepito jump out of the bush and rush across the parking lot, Gir and Minimoose following close behind.

            Kevin rushes Devi, Tenna, Johnny, and Squee. Pepito jumps out in front of them and swings his guitar, sending out a wave of black energy at the demon. He smacks it away like a fly. Pepito flinches back with surprise.

            “Your pitiful demonic powers aren’t enough to slow me down,” Kevin laughs.

            He grunts with annoyance and pain as lasers start hitting his right shoulder. Zim fires a pair of laser guns at him while Dib, Gaz, and Gir rush him.

            “Shmee!” Squee calls. The bear jumps off his head and joins the attack. He and Gir simultaneously hop into the air and bring their legs down on Kevin’s head, kicking him hard. Dib and Gaz attack his midsection, Dib punching him in the stomach and Gaz hitting his back with her bat.

It only stops him momentarily. In one quick flourish, he smacks Gir and Shmee across the parking lot. Then he grabs Dib by his scythe lock and throws him in Gaz. They both grunt in pain as they slide across the pavement.

            “Minimoose, fire!” Zim barks.

            The little moose floats in front of Zim, opens its mouth, and fires a giant plasma beam right at Kevin. It hits dead-on and pushes him back a couple feet. But once the beam dissipates, they see it barely did any damage. He stands up and snarls with annoyance.

            Johnny rushes forward as he reaches into his jacket and pulls out a large machete. He swings it at Kevin. He tries to dodge but he’s too slow and Johnny slice his left hand clean off.

            Kevin screams in pain and grips his wrist. Johnny prepares to attack again but Kevin spreads out his wings and takes to the skies. He flies well out of everyone’s reach.

            Johnny reaches it his jacket and pulls out a spear-like weapon. He throws it at Kevin. He barely manages to dodge. His right hand starts glowing black and he starts throwing black energy balls at Johnny. He dodges two of them but the third one hits him in the right shoulder. He grunts in pain as he tumbles across the pavement. He gets onto his knees and glares at Kevin, gripping his burnt right arm.

            “Johnny!” Squee exclaims.

           “Asshole,” Tenna snarls. She draws a gun from under her shirt and starts shooting it at Kevin. He blocks his head with his injured arm and gets hit three times, but it doesn’t slow him down much.

            He starts to ready another energy attack. But unbeknownst to him, beneath him Dib has just pulled on his Shock Therapy glove. He turns it on and plants his hand on the back of his neck. The shock charges up his brain.

            He jumps high into the air, right up to Kevin’s height. The incubus is so surprised to see him that he can’t even react. Dib grips his hands together and slams them on the top of Kevin’s head, sending him rocketing back to the ground. He smashes into the pavement, creating a small crater.

            Dib lands beside him. He starts to charge him but Kevin jumps to his feet and hits him before he has a chance. He punches him right in the stomach and sends him flying across the parking lot.

            Gaz suddenly appears behind Kevin, bat held high. She starts to swing it but Kevin swings around, grabs her, and throws her across the parking lot. She slams into Dib and they both roll across the ground, stopping beside Johnny.

            Kevin starts to get out of his hole when he senses something flying towards. He turns around just in time to see a small, round object with a big smiley face. It explodes right by his head. He screams in pain, gripping his face and stumbling back.

             As he lowers his hands, Nugget suddenly flies through the air and lands on his head, digging her claws into his skin. Squee, Pepito, and Tenna rush behind him, readying their weapons. Squee grips the handles of his knives, Pepito lifts his guitar, and Tenna aims her gun.

            They attack, Squee stabbing Kevin in his left side, Pepito blasting waves of black energy from his guitar into his right side, and Tenna shooting right in his back. He spins around in the barrage and grabs Pepito’s head. He swings him right into Tenna and Squee and sends them flying across the parking lot. They exclaim in pain as they land on the ground by Johnny and the others. Then Kevin tears Nugget off his head and throws her too. Johnny catches her before she hits the ground and holds her close.

            Kevin starts marching up to them when lasers start hitting his left side. Zim shoots at him as his spider legs hold him. Minimoose hovers beside him and fires another beam.

            Kevin dodges this one and charges towards them. He grabs one of Zim’s spider legs and picks him up. He swings him into Minimoose then smashes him into the ground right beside the others. His spider legs retract back into his PAK as he struggles to pick himself up, groaning in pain.

            “Annoying mortals,” Kevin snarls as he marches up to them. They glare at him, panting and hurting all over. “No matter how much damage you do, you can’t hope to destroy me! I possess powers none of you can imagine! Your actions are fruitless! Nothing can stop me! I-.”

            He’s suddenly interrupted by Devi’s fist in his face.

            Everybody gasps as Kevin stumbles back, rubbing his cheek.

            “Wha-,” he exclaims with surprise just before Devi hits him again, right in his mouth. He doesn’t even have time to react as she constantly cracks him in the face. She grabs the front of his torn up shirt and holds him still as she beats him before kneeing him the stomach and letting him drop to the ground.

            “You lied to my mom, you lied to me, and you hurt my friends!” she barks, “you are without a doubt the worst date I’ve ever had.”

            She starts kicking him on the ground. He groans louder in pain with each hit.

            “Stopping hitting me!” he snaps, “do you have any idea the kind of powers I possess?”

            “Fuck you,” she shouts, “you’re just an annoying asshole. Now get lost before I beat your skull in.”

            Kevin scurries away on his hands and knees. His wings spread out as he starts to fly away. “Fine, I’ll leave. But just so you know, I’m not leaving because I’m scared or hurt or anything. I’m just sick of you.”

            “Good!” Devi snaps, “and stay the fuck away from my mom.”  
            Kevin flies off and disappears into the distance. Everybody stares after him, panting and speechless.

            Tenna breaks the silence by bursting into laughter. She rushes forward and glomps Devi.

            “Yeah, D!” she cheers, “that was awesome! You totally kicked his ass!”

            “Oh, well, he deserved it,” Devi shrugs, “besides you guys wore him down for me.”

            “Devi, I’m sorry I kind of ruined your date,” Squee mutters sheepishly as he walks up to her.

            “Are you kidding?” Devi scoffs as she pulls him into the hug. “You saved me. If you didn’t warn me about that guy, who knows what could’ve happened. I just wish you told me sooner. After all, Squee knows best, right?”  
            Squee beams happily.

            “She’s right,” Johnny nods as he joins them with Nugget and Shmee. “And besides, you didn’t ruin her date. It would’ve been ruined anyway.”

            “Hey, not all of my dates have the potential to be bad!” Devi snaps, “I’m due for a good one sooner or later. But probably more later than sooner. I don’t think I’m gonna go out again for a long time.”

“I don’t need a romantic relationship. I got you guys,” she smiles as she squeezes Tenna and Squee. “And Johnny too, I guess.”

He scoffs and rolls his eyes.

While the four of them are off doing their thing, Zim, Dib, Gaz, and Pepito remain on the ground, staring at the spot where Kevin disappeared.

“Should we go find him? What if he attacks more girls?” Dib asks.

“I have a feeling he won’t attack anyone for a while,” Zim says, “and if he does, we’ll stop him.”

“Yeah,” Pepito nods, “and next time we’ll be sure to bring Devi with us.”

“We don’t need Devi!” Zim snaps, “we can handle it ourselves!”

“If it wasn’t for Devi, that guy would’ve destroyed us,” Gaz points out.

“Yeah, well, we just weakened him for her,” he insists.

Everybody shuts up when sirens are heard in the distance. They look around and notice all the scared civilians cowering outside the parking lot.

“Oh, I guess we caused quite the disturbance, huh?” Squee comments.

“Yeah, we should go,” Tenna nods.

“I’m parked down the road,” Johnny says, “come on.”    

Everybody hurries down the sidewalk, past all of the terrified civilians, and climb into Johnny’s car. Nny, Devi, Tenna, and Nugget sit up front while the kids, Gir, Minimoose, and Shmee pile up in the back.

Yet another bad date for Devi. But unlike the others, this one doesn’t leave her bitter or regretful. If her luck with dates is never going to get better, if she is forever branded with the record of ‘worst dates ever had’ then she’s okay with that. Because at least she has her friends to cheer her up and get her through it. Who needs a boyfriend or husband when you got that?


	49. Fanatics 35.1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nny's mysterious, unknown past catches up to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is connected to the chapters Fragments of a Past Reality. If you haven't read those yet I highly recommend them.

The Past Returns Part One

 

            Johnny, Devi, and Tenna stroll down the dark streets, the only things illuminating their way being the flickering streetlamps and crescent moon in the sky.

            Tenna is in the lead, a big smile on her face as she holds her camera up, looking for a good subject to capture. Devi and Johnny follow behind her. Devi is smiling contently while Johnny has his normal scowl on, with just a bit more annoyance sprinkled in.

            “Remind me again why I had to go with you guys,” he groans.

            “Aw, come on, Nny,” Tenna says, “Squee’s always hanging out with his friends. You should to.”

            “Hang out with Squee’s friends?”  
            “No. Yours.”

            “I don’t have any.”

            “I told you, Tenna,” Devi grunts.

            “We’re your friends,” Tenna states, “right, Devi?”

            “Eh,” she shrugs.

            “What are you doing anyway?” Nny asks.

            “A freelance writer hired me to take some photos,” Tenna replies, “he’s doing some sort of article on how the South End isn’t as scary as the rumours make it seem and he wants me to take some nice pictures. I got a whole bunch in the daytime so I thought I should get some at night too.”

            “Seems pointless,” he scoffs.

            “Maybe. But it’s still fun.”

            They walk on for about an hour. Tenna takes a lot of different pictures, attempting to capture the beauty and peacefulness of the South End. Devi does her best to help while Johnny just makes distasteful comments.

            “Whoa, cool,” Tenna comments as she comes to an abrupt stop. Devi and Johnny catch up.

            They find themselves in front of a large, old apartment building. It’s been fenced off and a lot of the windows are boarded up.

            “So what? It’s just another condemned building,” Johnny grunts.

            “A lot of apartments are getting condemned and torn apart,” Devi says.

            “Yeah. Sometimes they just disappear without a trace,” he adds.

            They stare at the building with silent contemplation.

            “Let’s go in,” Tenna orders.

            “What?” Nny and Devi exclaim.

            She giggles with excitement as she hangs her camera off her shoulder. She jumps onto the fence and climbs it like a monkey, hopping over to the other side.

            “Come on,” she urges.

            Nny and Devi groan but follow her anyway. They jump the fence and stride up to the front door. Tenna jiggles the knob but it doesn’t give.

            “It must be locked,” she says.

            “Move,” Johnny demands. The girls quickly step out of the way as he kicks the doors in.

            “I guess we’re committing to trespassing then,” Devi grunts.

            “Adventure!” Tenna sings as she races in. Johnny and Devi follow close behind.

            There’s nothing particularly interesting about the building. Almost all of the apartment doors are locked and the ones that aren’t have nothing behind them. There’s some random graffiti on the walls and the odd rat running around. But all in all it’s pretty boring.

            Until they get to the third floor.

            The second they reach the landing it’s obvious something happened. There is a giant, dark stain taking up a small section of the hallway on the floor, wall, and ceiling, right in front of an apartment doorway.

            Johnny, Devi, and Tenna ‘oooo’ with excitement and hurry down the hall. The door of the apartment is hanging off its hinges. There are two chalk outlines of bodies on the floor immediately inside the apartment. The way they’ve been drawn, it looks like both bodies were found lying in opposite directions with their heads beside each other.

            “Cool. A murder scene,” Tenna coos.

            “This huge stain is all old, dried blood,” Johnny states, “this wasn’t just a murder. This was a massacre.”

            “Gross,” Devi groans as she jumps off the stain.

            “Judging from the way the two chalk outlines are positioned compared to the stain, I don’t think the blood is from these two bodies,” he observes.

            “What are you, a detective?” she scoffs.

            “This is so neat,” Tenna squeals as she takes a bunch of pictures.

            Johnny watches her with mild interest for a second before he gets an odd feeling in the back of his neck. He spins around but sees nothing. Just the empty hallway.

            “What’s wrong?” Devi asks.

            “I don’t know. Nothing I guess,” he replies.

            Devi watches him for a second before turning to Tenna. “Tenna, let’s get out of here. Nothing here will help with your article.”

            “Yeah, alright,” she nods as she leaves the apartment. “But it was a fun side-adventure, right?”

            “You and I differ very greatly on the definition of ‘fun’,” Johnny grunts as they head down the hall.

            They leave the building quietly and continue on their little mission. But little do they know they weren’t alone. Down the hall of the third floor, in the stairwell leading to the fourth floor, a man in his mid-thirties is hiding. He’s panting with fear, exhilaration, and bewilderment.

            He stares at his cellphone, or more specifically the picture he just took. It’s a blurry image of Johnny looking into the apartment, just before he turned down the hall.

            “I…I need to show this to Mr. Mussolini,” the man declares before he rushes out of the building.

            He hurries to his car and drives quickly to the North End, to the Mussolini Banks head office. He parks his car and jogs through the front door and up to the receptionist.

            “I need to speak with Mr. Mussolini,” he says quickly, “it’s an emergency.”

            “Just a second,” she says before speaking quietly into her phone. A voice answers her back and she nods. “Go on up.”

            The man sighs with relief before rushing into the elevator and to the top floor of the building. He trots down the hall and stops quite abruptly at the large double doors. He straightens his shirt and his hair before taking a calming breath and knocking gently.

            “Enter,” a voice calls out.

            He quietly opens one of the doors and peeks in. “M-Mr. Mussolini.”

            “Yes, Carson, what is it?” Celio Mussolini asks impatiently. He’s sitting at the head of a long table in the middle of the room. Standing beside him are two smartly dressed, well-built men.

            “Um okay,” the man named Carson stammers, “s-so I was just visiting my old apartment building. I heard it was getting torn down soon and I just wanted to see it one last time. Then these three people broke in. I didn’t think anything of it. I just hid until their curiosity was sated.”

            “Get to the point, Carson,” Mussolini snaps.

            “I recognized one of them,” he states quickly, “and I could be wrong but I managed to get a picture and I thought you should see it.

            Carson slides his phone across the tabletop. Mussolini catches it and views the picture. His surprise is evident on his face.

            “Are you sure this is him?” he asks.

            “I’m not. I didn’t hear his name,” Carson replies, “but the likeness is uncanny.”

            “Indeed,” Mussolini agrees, “he looks exactly the way he did when he died.”

            An evil, sick smirk spreads across his face. “I want to know everything about him. I want to know where he lives, what he does, what he eats, who he spends his time with. Everything. Not a single detail must be left out.”

            “Yes, sir,” his left hand man nods before hurrying out of the room.

            Carson looks at Mussolini nervously. “Wh-what are you going to do, sir?”

            “Everything I can,” he replies as he stares at the picture. “Everything I can to exact my perfect revenge. If this truly is who we think it is, then I will make him suffer. He will pay for what he did to me.”

            He tosses the phone onto the table and chuckles, “our reunion will be grand. Look forward to it, Johnny C.”


	50. Fanatics 35.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nny and Squee get a mysterious new neighbour.

The Past Returns Part Two

 

            Squee always knows. He’s not sure how he knows, but he knows. When he wakes up in the morning, he immediately senses something is wrong.

            He rubs his eyes as he sits up and gets out of bed. Shmee hangs out of his hand as he leaves his room. Nugget watches him for a second before yawning, stretching, and following him.

            Squee looks around the house for a second, just to make sure. He checks the living room, the kitchen, and the bathroom but he already knows they’ll be empty. He stops outside Johnny’s bedroom door and knocks gently.

            “Nny, you in there?” he asks.

            “…yeah.”

            “You feeling okay?”

            “…no.”

            “Can I come in?”

            “…no.”

            “I’m coming in anyway,” Squee states. He opens the door and slips into the dark room. Nugget follows at his heels.

            Johnny is lying on his small, plain mattress, face buried in his pillow and blanket bunched up at his feet. His arms are lying over his head and his fingers are digging into his scalp. He turns his head a little, just enough to look at Squee as he kneels at the side of his bed. Nugget jumps up and curls up beside him.

            “Is it bad?” Squee asks.

            “No worse than usual,” Nny replies.

            “Well, on the bright side it’s Saturday. I can stay here with you all day,” he smiles.

            The thought does make things brighter. Despite his skull splitting migraine, crippling body pain, and the noisy voices in his head, just having Squee nearby helps Nny feel a bit better. He’s not sure what he did to deserve having Squee. As far as he knows, he did absolutely nothing. Maybe he just got lucky. Whatever the case, having Squee around makes Nny’s life enjoyable. He almost feels…happy.

            Squee gently rubs the back of his head as he stands up. “Stay here. I’m going to get you some water and something to eat.”

            Nny nods weakly as Squee leaves the room. He hurries to the kitchen and fills a cup with some water. He looks around for a second, trying to decide what would be good for Nny to eat, when the door ‘bell’ suddenly goes off.

            Squee looks at the door curiously. Who would be visiting them right now? Squee’s friends would text before coming over and Devi and Tenna would just burst through the door. So is it one of their neighbors?

            Squee rests Shmee on his head and hesitantly walks up to the door. He opens it just a crack and peeks through.

            There’s an unfamiliar man standing on their front step. He’s tall and thin with short brown hair. Squee’s immediate impression of him is ‘weasel-ly’. He doesn’t necessarily look like a weasel, but he seems like he might have the characteristics of a weasel. And the weirdest thing is he almost looks genuinely surprised at the sight of Squee.

            He quickly regains his composure and smiles politely. “Hello, my name is Carson Larm. I just moved in across the street.”

            “Really?” Squee questions with bewilderment. He opens the door a little more and looks outside. There are indeed boxes and a moving truck parked across the street in front of the house beside Amanda’s.

            “Yup,” Carson nods, “I just moved in today. I wanted to go around and introduce myself.”

            “Oh. Well, um, welcome, I guess,” Squee says, “I’m Squee C.”

            “C?” he questions.”

            “C.”

            “Alright,” Carson grunts, “are your um parents here?”

            “My guardian, yes, but he’s not feeling well,” Squee replies.

            “Oh. Could I possibly meet him later then?”

            “Well…” Squee trails off with uncertainty.

            “Squee, who’s at the door?”

            Squee spins around as Johnny lumbers out of the hall, holding his forehead.

            “Nny!” he cries and rushes towards him, leaving the door open. “You should be in bed.”

            “I wanted to see what was going on,” Johnny says.

            “Everything’s fine. I can handle it,” Squee insists.

            Johnny looks through the doorway at the visitor. Carson is staring at him with blatant surprise, his eyes wide and mouth hanging open.

            “Who are you?” Johnny asks.

            “Um I-I’m Carson Larm,” he replies, “I just moved in across the street.”

            “Really? I didn’t hear anything about it,” he states.

            “Yeah well it was kind of…sudden,” Carson mutters, “and-and-and you are?”

            “Johnny,” he grunts.

            “It’s um a pleasure to meet you.”

            “Sure.”

            “Nny, go back to bed,” Squee urges as he gently rests his hands against Nny’s chest and nudges back to the hall. “I’ll bring you something to eat in a few minutes.”  
            “Mm, alright,” Johnny nods as he turns and trudges down the hallway.  Squee spins around and hurries back to the door.

            “It was um nice meeting you, Carson,” he says quickly.

            “Yeah, same here,” Carson nods.

            “Okay. Goodbye.” Squee forces a polite smile before shutting the door.

            Carson stays frozen on the front step for a second before leaving. He races across the street to his new house and bursts through the front door. He pants as he grabs his cellphone and hits a number on speed dial.

            “Yes?” Mussolini answers.

            “Carson reporting in, Mr. Mussolini,” Carson states.

            “Right. Good news, I hope.”

            “I suppose so, sir. It is definitely Johnny C living in that house. It all matches: his looks, his voice, his name.”

            “Excellent. So tell me, how is he doing? How is he living?” Mussolini asks.

            “Seemingly well,” Carson replies, “he uh has a kid.”

            “A kid? Like, biologically?”

            “I don’t think so. He called him his ‘guardian’,” Carson explains, “but they seem quite close. Johnny let him touch him and he kept calling him ‘Nny’.”

            “Nny? What does that mean?”

            “Probably just a nickname.”

            “So, Johnny has a kid that he is quite close to,” Mussolini muses, “we could use this. I wanna know more about this kid and any other people Johnny might be close too. Keep an eye on the house and tell me about any new evidence. I’ll be sending more spies out.”

            “Yes, sir,” Carson nods. They hang up and Carson looks through the front door. He has a clear view of the C house from here. Nobody will be going in or out without him seeing it.

 

            Johnny leans against the wall by a front window. He stares through the boards at the new neighbor’s house. He has a clear view of it from here, but what he’s watching for he doesn’t know.

            “What’s wrong, Nny?” Squee asks as he walks into the living room.

            “Not sure,” he grunts, “there’s just something about that new neighbor of ours. I don’t know what it is, but I don’t like him.”

            “He seems very weasel-ly,” Squee comments.

            “Weasel-ly?”

            “You know, like a weasel. At least that was my first impression of him,” Squee shrugs as he sits on the couch. “I don’t trust him.”  
            Johnny sighs and sits beside him. “Well, as long as he leaves us alone, then I guess I’ll have no problems with him.”

            “That’s surprisingly mature of you,” Squee comments.

            “What do you mean ‘surprisingly’?” Johnny grunts, “I can be mature too.”  
            “Sometimes,” he shrugs.

            Johnny scoffs and starts poking him in the cheek. Squee laughs and shoves his hand away. They snicker as they flail about on the couch before Johnny wraps his arm around Squee’s neck and catches him in a weak headlock.

            “Coming in!” Devi announces as she and Tenna suddenly burst through the front door. Johnny’s smile is quickly replaced with a glare of irritation as they walk in.

            “What are you goofballs doing?” Tenna asks as they sit down beside them.

            “Nothing,” Johnny grunts as he lets Squee go.

            “Nny’s just feeling frisky because he was sick all yesterday,” Squee giggles.

            “I am not!” Johnny snaps.

            “Jeezus, Johnny,” Devi scoffs, “you’re like toddler.”

            “Shut up. You’re a toddler,” he huffs.

            “What are all those boxes across the street?” Tenna asks.           

            “Our new neighbor moving in,” Squee replies.

            “Oh, yeah? What’re they like?” Devi asks.

            “Weasel-ly.”

            “The fuck does that mean?”

            “Like a weasel.”

            “Oh, of course,” Devi grunts.

            “Oh, hey, Johnny,” Tenna says excitedly, “you remember a couple weeks ago when the three of us went out to take pictures for a magazine article?”

            “Vaguely,” he replies.

            “Well, the writer loved my pictures and the article has finally been published in ‘City’,” she explains.

          “I know that magazine. Both Colton and Dib love reading it for completely different reasons,” Squee says, “some of the stories are pretty interesting but sometimes it sounds like it’s trying too hard to be convincing.”

            “We should go out and buy a copy,” Tenna suggests.

            “Sure,” Squee smiles, “we can go to the nearby convenience store. I need to pick up some groceries too.”

            “Squee, you make a great housewife,” Devi comments, “Johnny’s lucky to have you.”

            “Nny, you should come too,” Squee states, “it’ll be good for you to go for a walk.”

            “Fine,” Johnny groans as he stands up. Squee beams happily and the four of them leave the house.

            Across the street, Carson watches their every move until they disappear in the distance. Then he grabs his phone and calls Mussolini.

            “Carson, reporting in,” he states.

            “You know you don’t have to say that every time,” Mussolini grunts, “I have caller ID.”

            “I just saw two girls walk into Johnny’s house like they own the place,” Carson explains, “now they’re leaving with him and the kid. I think they’re the same girls that were with him at the apartment building a few weeks ago. They must be friends.”

            “So Johnny has friends and a kid,” Mussolini muses, “he’s got quite a nice life for himself, doesn’t he?”

            “Seems that way, sir,” Carson nods.

           “Yes. I can’t wait to see the look on his face when it all goes up in flames,” he chuckles darkly, “we’re entering the second phase of my plan. You remember your part, Carson?”

            “Yes, sir,” he sighs.

            “I can hardly wait,” Mussolini exclaims excitedly, “Johnny’s agony will be positively delicious.”

            Carson hangs up as Mussolini laughs evilly. He rests his forehead against the window and rubs his upset stomach as guilt completely washes over him. He unlocks his phone and stares his lock screen: a picture of him and Suzuki Kyo, his old partner.

            “Oh, Suzu,” he sighs, “I’m a terrible person.”               


	51. Fanatics 35.3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Squee and Nny both have bad feelings.

The Past Returns Part Three

 

            Devi and Tenna stride down the street, the latest issue of ‘City’ held in front of their faces. They have big smiles as they look at the article titled ‘South End: Not What the Rumours Think.’ They’re not reading it; they’re just looking at Tenna’s pictures.

            Johnny and Squee lag behind them. Johnny is carrying four bags of groceries, mostly junk food. Squee looks up at him worriedly before hesitantly reaching for one.

            “Nny, I can take one,” he says.

            “No, it’s fine,” Johnny grunts as he yanks the bags out of Squee’s reach. “I got it.”

            Squee lowers his hand and smiles at him. Johnny looks at him curiously. “What?”

            “Nothing,” Squee grins and looks away, still smiling.

            He cocks his eyebrow before scoffing, “you’re so weird.”

            “You’re weird,” Squee retorted, laughing.

            They chuckle at each other for a second. Then suddenly they get a terrible feeling. Their smiles disappear as they stop abruptly and look back with surprise. Their eyes scan the street behind them, their ears listen for the slightest sound, but they find nothing suspicious. They look at each other worriedly.

            “Hey, guys,” Devi calls back, “something wrong?”

            “No,” Johnny replies, “no, everything’s fine. Come on.” He nudges Squee and they catch up with the girls.

            Tenna excitedly shows them her pictures in the article and they act happy for her- or at least Squee does. But the bad feeling doesn’t go away, not even when they make it home.

            They’re definitely being watched.

            “Okay, we’ll see you guys tomorrow,” Devi says as she and Tenna stop at her car.

            “Wh-you guys are leaving?” Squee asks.

            “Yeah. I got work in the morning, so,” she shrugs.

            “Oh, a-alright,” he nods, forcing a smile. “Um be careful.”

            The girls smile and wave goodbye as they climb into Devi’s car and drive away. Squee watches them for a second, rubbing his hands nervously. He glances up at Johnny and they go into the house.

            The bad feeling doesn’t disappear at all for the boys, not even in the safety of their own home. And they can’t just chock it up to usual paranoia either. Shmee agrees that they are indeed being watched and even Nugget is extremely on edge.

            Johnny wants to go investigate but he doesn’t want to risk starting something with Squee around. He decides to wait until tomorrow when Squee’s at Skool before looking into it. He just hopes this isn’t going to turn out to be some big thing.

            The sun soon disappears for the day and Squee has to get ready for bed. He showers, gets into his pyjamas, and has a quick snack before he starts to head for his bedroom. But he stops as he passes through the living room and looks at Johnny, who’s sitting on the couch.

            “Nny,” he says, “I don’t know what your plans are for tonight, but could you…stay upstairs? I mean, if you were planning to go downstairs at all, that is.”

            “Yeah, don’t worry,” Nny replies, “I’ve got nothing to do and I don’t feel like sleeping. I’ll be here all night if you need anything.”  
            Squee smiles gratefully. “Okay. Good night.”

            “Night.”

            Nugget follows Squee into his room. He crawls into bed and snuggles up with Shmee under the covers while she curls up by his head, and they slowly fall asleep.

            Meanwhile, just outside the house, three men and a woman dressed in all black have gathered. One of them tries to open Squee’s window but it doesn’t budge.

            “Locked,” he grunts.

            “Just smash it,” another one suggests.

            “We can’t. We have to do this discreetly,” the woman snaps.

            “Go check the doors,” the fourth man orders.

            The second and first split off to the back and front of the house. They return at the same time.

            “The back door is locked,” the first man says.

            “And Johnny is watching TV. He’s right by the front door,” the second man adds.

            “Do you guys know anything about Johnny?” the girl asks.

            “Only what everybody else knows,” the first man replies, “he was a hitman before he failed Mussolini. And then he cut him up.”

            “I got some details from Carson,” the third man says, “apparently Johnny has a really bad temper and is pretty crazy.”

            “Is it true that he was actually dead for nearly a week?” the second man asks.

            “I asked but Carson didn’t really give a straight answer,” he replies, “he got really nervous when he started talking about the whole incident.”

            “Well, whatever the case, we can’t get the kid today,” the girl points out, “we’re gonna have to wait until tomorrow morning.”

            “Right,” everyone nods before splitting off and disappearing into the night.

            Unbeknownst to them, somebody was eavesdropping. From the very second they tried to open his window, Squee was listening in. He heard every word through the glass. Now he’s kneeling beneath his window, a very quizzical expression on his face.

            “Carson? Like the new neighbor? And Mussolini, the bank guy? Hitman?” he questions quietly. He looks down at Shmee and Nugget for answers. They both just shrug.

              “Something’s going on,” he mumbles, “but what does it all mean?”

 

            Devi gets out of bed. She stretches and groans loudly as she stumbles to her closet. She throws open the door and grabs a random t-shirt and leggings. She quickly changes out of her pyjamas and goes to the bathroom.

            She has to hurry. If she’s late to work again, Nana will have her head. And probably hang it up in the kitchen too, as a symbol.

            She quickly brushes all of the knots out of her hair and ties it into pigtails before doing her make-up. Just some mascara and a bit of lipstick.

           She hurries to the kitchen to grab an apple to eat on the way, and starts to head to the door, when she notices something odd. A cup she left to dry on the counter last night is lying on the floor.

            Devi picks it up and looks around curiously. How did it fall?

            She glances at the window above the sink and growls. It’s cracked open.

            She drops the cup and spins around. Her apartment seems normal. There doesn’t appear to be any intruders.

            She starts to move cautiously, taking quiet steps and listening for the slightest noise. Everything’s silent until she passes her TV stand, and she hears a bone crack.

            Devi spins around and screams with surprise as a man in all black jumps at her, a rag in his hand. They slam into the wall as he struggles to press the rag to her mouth. She holds him back with both hands, but he’s bigger and stronger than her. She can’t last forever.

            She growls at him before kicking him in the knee with her cleated shoes. He grunts in pain, his strength lessening just a bit. Devi takes the opportunity to let go of one of his arms and punches him in the face. He stumbles back, gripping his cheek.

            Devi strikes like a cobra. She tackles him to the ground and straddles him before pounding his face. She’s going to make him bleed from his eyes before she questions him. That’s what he gets for breaking into her house.

            She stops to catch her breath while he groans underneath her, motionless and barely conscious. She starts to stand up when she hears a noise behind her. She spins around a second too late.

            Her attacker’s cohort presses a chloroform-soaked rag to her mouth and pulls her pigtail, holding her still. The fumes invade her nostrils and take effect quickly. She tries to stay awake but to no avail, and she quickly passes out.

 

            Squee swings his bag strap across his chest and sets it nicely on his hip. He places Shmee on his head, zips up his sweater, and buckles up his shoes. He’s ready for Skool.

            Physically at least. But emotionally and mentally, he’s exhausted, and it’s not just because it’s Monday. He didn’t get much sleep last night and his nerves are all pretty shot.

            Johnny feels the same. He doesn’t show it but Squee can tell. He’s grouchier than usual.

            “You ready to go?” Johnny asks. Squee nods and they leave the house and head to the car.

            Carson watches the whole scene from his window. As soon as they’ve driven away, he grabs his phone.

            “Carson, reporting in,” he says.

            “For god’s sake, Carson,” Mussolini groans.

            “I just thought you should know, Johnny and the kid are going somewhere in a little, grey car,” Carson explains, “possibly school?”

            “Okay, thanks for the update,” Mussolini grunts, “my plan is almost complete. I’ll keep you posted.”

            “Right,” he sighs and hangs up. He leans against the wall and rubs his upset stomach.

            Meanwhile the drive to Skool is quiet and tense. Both Johnny and Squee’s minds are busy. They’re too mixed up in their own thoughts to talk to each other.

            They make it to the Skool without incident. Squee grabs his bag and steps out of the car.

            “See you later, Nny,” he says.   

            “Yeah. Take care,” he replies.

            Squee steps away from the car and heads to the front of the Skool yard. Johnny waits until he’s past the fence before driving away.

            The yard is emptier than usual since Squee is a little bit later today. But he should still have plenty of time to get to class.

            He starts to hurry down the front walk when a sudden jolt runs up his spine.

            “Squee!” Shmee exclaims.

            He jumps back just as a large man dressed in all black attempts to tackle him. They both look at each other with surprise for completely different reasons.

            They stare at each other for second before Squee spins on his heel and races into the street.

            Meanwhile, Johnny drives quietly down the road. He doesn’t even have the radio on. His mind’s too loud, he wouldn’t hear it anyway.

            He’s thinking about his plan for the day; how he’s going to track down the guys that have been following him. He has to stop at the house first and pick up some things but that’d probably be a good place to start anyway.

            A jolt suddenly runs through his whole body and he slams on the brakes. He leans against the steering wheel and pants with surprise.

            Something bad just happened.

            He snarls with anger, slams on the gas, and does a complete U-turn back to the Skool. He skids to a stop at the curb and gets out. He looks around but sees no one.

            Johnny takes a deep breath and heads up into the Skool. He walks like he owns the place, but there’s no need to. The halls are empty.

            He heads straight to the Principal’s office and stops at the receptionist’s desk. She looks at him with surprise.

            “I need to see the principal,” Johnny states, “tell him it’s Johnny.”

            She nods and presses a button on her intercom. “Uh, sir, a man named Johnny is here to see you.”

            There’s silence on the other line for a second before a man meekly replies, “let him in.”

            “You may go,” she says as she motions to the door. Johnny nods and walks in.

            The Principal and his associates sit around his table in the dark room, the only light coming from the many television screens displaying the current security camera footage. They all watch Johnny fearfully as he marches down the floor, to the Principal.

            “Wh-what can I do for you, Johnny?” he asks nervously.

            “You have cameras at the front door, right?” Johnny questions, “I need to see the footage from this morning.”  
            “I can’t just show that to someone without authorization,” the Principal argues.

            Johnny growls and slams his hands onto the tabletop. “Need I remind you I have you under my thumb? I’ll crush you like a grape if I feel like it, so you better just do as I say.”

            The Principal trembles with fear before nodding and grabbing a remote. He presses a couple buttons and the screens all show the same footage: this morning in the front yard. Johnny leans against the table as he watches.

            It’s pretty boring at first. Just a bunch of kids hanging around before heading inside. And then he sees Squee, hurrying down the walk, before stopping abruptly and jumping back just as a mysterious man attempts to grab him. Johnny flinches angrily and points at the screen.

            “You saw this and you didn’t call anyone!” he exclaims.

            “W-well I-I don’t,” the Principal stammers fruitlessly. He has no excuse.

            “You are a terrible education professional,” Johnny snarls before taking his leave.

 

            Squee runs without a destination in mind. He’s only focused on getting away from these guys. There’s more than one. He’s not sure how many, but they’re all chasing after him from the shadows.

            “They’re trying to surround you,” Shmee warns.

            Squee takes a sharp turn into an alley. He lifts his bag and digs around for a second until he finds what he wants. Then he ducks beside a dumpster.

            He pants mostly from exhilaration than exhaustion as he senses his pursuers closing in on him. They think they’ve cornered him. But in reality, he’s cornered them.

            They come within range. Squee jumps to his feet and lifts his Startling Bomb. He presses the button on top and throws it to the ground just as his pursuers appear around him. The bomb explodes into blinding white light.

            The pursuers shout with surprise and cover their eyes. Squee keeps his eyes closed and runs across the alley. He jumps and grabs the top of the fence on the other side. He clambers over it with slight difficulty and lands in an unsteady crouch on the other side. He opens his eyes and quickly races around a house before ducking in the shadow and rubbing his eyelids.

            “That won’t slow them down for long,” Shmee warns.

            “I know. Shmee, listen, I need you to find Johnny,” Squee orders as he reaches into his bag and pulls out a little notebook and a pen. He quickly scribbles something down on a piece of paper before tearing it out and handing it to the bear. “Give this to him.”

            “By myself? What about you?” he asks.

            “I’ll try to lose these guys. I have some ideas,” he replies.

            “Fine. But, Squee, if you lose consciousness so will I.”

            “I know. So be fast.”

            Shmee nods. He enters this plane of existence and hops off Squee’s head. They glance at each other before he leaves, hopping from building to building with great speed.

            Squee remains where he is. He keeps his eyes closed and listens carefully. His pursuers are coming.

            He reaches into his bag and grabs a Sleepy Bomb. He jumps to his feet and pulls out the pin. He throws at the edge of the house just as some guys step around the corner. It goes off, engulfing them in thick smoke, as Squee races away. The fumes immediately knock them out but that wasn’t all of them. There are still others closing in.

            Squee runs down an empty street. He looks back and sees three people, all in black, chasing after him. But there are more, he can feel it. They’re probably trying to cut him off.

            These guys are hard to lose. Just how many are there?

            He takes a sharp left and skids to a stop as he nearly runs into somebody. They’re in all black too. It’s one of the pursuers!  
            They lift their arms and attempt to grab him but he ducks underneath them and continues down that path. His assailant groans with annoyance as they join the chase.

            Squee glances back at the growing group before looking forward again and stumbling to a stop. He’s come to a dead end. There’s nothing but high walls ahead of him.

            “Oh no,” he squeaks, “I screwed up.”

            He spins around as his pursuers catch up to him. They’re all here now, charging towards him, and they look angry.

            Squee presses against the wall, clutching his bag to his chest. They’re closed tightly together in the alley. There’s no way for him to slip by. His only chance is to knock them all out.

            He reaches into his bag and digs around for a Sleepy Bomb. But he doesn’t find it fast enough. They’re on him before he can get one.

            They surround him and grab at him. He thrashes and wiggles out of their grip but there’s too many of them.

            One of them grabs him by his hair and slams him against the wall. He gasps in pain as the others hold him down. They chuckle nefariously as the first one presses a soaked rag to mouth. He tries not to breathe in but he can’t hold his breath forever and the chloroform forces him into unconsciousness.

              Meanwhile, Johnny stomps angrily through the Skool and out the front door. Squee is being chased by a bunch of guys. He could be in big trouble right now. How is he gonna find him? He doesn’t have time to go home and get Nugget, but he can’t just drive around aimlessly either.

            As he weighs his options, Shmee races down the street back to the Skool. He immediately recognizes the car and sighs with relief, “I knew it.”

            He grips Squee’s note and starts to call Johnny’s name when he feels a sudden shock. He holds his breath and makes one last jump for the car before losing consciousness.

            Johnny looks up with surprise as something lands on his car. He sees Shmee lying on the roof, a piece of paper resting on his stubby, little paw.

            Johnny gasps and picks up the lifeless teddy bear. He takes the note and unfolds it.

            ‘Beware Carson.’

            The paper crumples up in Johnny’s angry fist. He opens the driver’s door, throws Shmee inside, and starts the car. He drives at dangerous speeds back to his house or more specifically, Carson’s house.


	52. Fanatics 35.4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nny has to rescue his friends.

The Past Returns Part Four

 

            The morning bell rings. Everyone hurries to their desks as Miss Sweeties walks in. The announcements are said over the intercom and she begins taking attendance.

            She calls off names and everyone replies with ‘here’. Until she gets to Squee.

            “Squee,” she says. Nobody answers. She looks up from her list curiously. “Squee?”

            Squee’s desk is completely empty.

            “Mm, alright,” Miss Sweeties says apathetically as she marks him down as absent and continues on.

            Zim, Dib, and Pepito stare at the desk then glance at each other worriedly. It’s not like Squee to miss Skool. He hasn’t been absent all year, so their concern is understandable.

            When Miss Sweeties back is turn, they discreetly take out their cellphones and send him a quick text. But none of them receive a reply.

 

            “Stage one of my plan was a success,” Mussolini says excitedly, “now all we need is to accomplish stage two. That’s your part, Carson.”

            “Yes, sir,” Carson nods.

            “Good. We’ll be waiting for you.”  
            Carson hangs up and sighs. He leans against the wall and stares out the window. Johnny hasn’t returned yet.

            He rubs his stomach. Since this whole thing’s started, he’s felt sick. He knows it’s from guilt, but what is he supposed to do? Nobody defies Mussolini. He knows that better than anyone.

            A loud screeching noise from outside distracts Carson from his thoughts. He looks out the window and sees Johnny’s car skid to a stop across the road. Johnny steps out of the driver’s side and slams the door shut as he glares angrily at Carson’s house.

            “Uh oh,” Carson whimpers as he jumps away from the window. He shivers like a wet dog as he hears the pounding footsteps stomping up his front walk followed by the rapping on his door that nearly shakes the whole house.

            Carson tries to swallow his fear and gathers up as much courage as he can- which isn’t a lot. He faces the door and slowly, with a trembling hand, turns the knob and opens it just a smidge.

            Johnny shoves the door open. He grabs Carson by the front of his shirt, slams the door shut, and shoves him up against the wall. Carson squeezes Johnny’s arm as he struggles to keep his shirt from strangling him.

            “Alright,” Johnny hisses, “you’re going to answer all of my questions, and you better do it quickly and clearly. I don’t know how much longer my self-control is going to hold for.”

            “Who the fuck are you? What the hell is going on? And where is Squee?”

            Carson blinks, his fear momentarily replaced by confusion. “You mean…then you really don’t remember me.”

            “What?” Johnny questions.

            “You don’t remember me? You don’t remember my name?” Carson asks frantically, “what about Suzuki Kyo? Do you remember her? The three of us were partners for nearly half a year.”

            Johnny just stares at him, quizzical. “No, I don’t remember that name or you. Except for the fact that we met just a couple days ago.”  
            Carson sighs. “No, we knew each other before then. Well, at least I did.”

            Johnny stares at him for a second before going back to angry and slamming him against the wall again. “I don’t care about that. What do you have to do with the guys that have been following me?”

            “You knew?” Carson exclaims, “for how long?”

            “The whole time.”

            “That’s amazing,” he says in awe. “They’re professionals.”

            “Like I give a shit!” Johnny shouts with frustration. “Just tell me what the fuck is going on!”

            “Alright, alright. I’ll tell you,” Carson cries with fear. He takes a deep breath to calm down before he starts talking. “Do you know the name Mussolini?”

            “Mussolini? Like the banks?” Johnny questions.

            “Yes,” Carson sighs, “Celio Mussolini is the founder and president. He’s also the boss of the local mob. I work under him as a hitman.”

            “Really? You kill people?” he scoffs.

            “Not recently,” he replies, “but that’s beside the point. A long time ago, you worked for Mussolini too. But one day you defied him and hurt him. He wants revenge. So he kidnapped your kid and those girls and-.”

            “Girls? You mean Devi and Tenna? He has them too!” Johnny exclaims angrily, “ah for fuck sakes! Where are they? You’re going to take me to them.”

            “Yes, yes I will. That was the whole point of my moving across the street from you,” Carson nods quickly, “not only to watch you and relay information to Mr. Mussolini, but also to take you to him when the time comes. I’m just a lure.”

            “Good. Then lure me,” Johnny orders as he pulls Carson away from the wall and opens the door. “Let’s go.”

            Carson follows Johnny down the front walk. He starts to head to his car but stops when Johnny snaps at him.

            “We’re taking my car,” he states as he crosses the street. “I just gotta grab something first. Wait here.”

            Carson obediently stands on the curb while Johnny heads up to his house. He opens the door and grabs his trench coat off the coat rack.

            Nugget perks up on the couch. She immediately senses something is wrong and starts to run up to Johnny.

           “No, Nugget. You stay here,” he demands as he picks her up and puts her back on the couch. “Guard the house.” He gives her a quick pat on the head before pulling on his jacket and heading for the door.

            Nugget stares after him with big eyes as he leaves.

            “Alright, let’s go,” Johnny snaps as he climbs into his car. Carson starts to get in the passenger side but stops when he sees something on the seat.  

            “Um…” he questions as he curiously picks up Shmee.

            “Don’t touch that!” Nny barks as he tears the bear out of his hand. He grumbles quietly as he sticks him into his jacket before starting the car.

            “So where do I go?” he asks.

            “Just uh go to the North End for now,” Carson replies.

            They drive quietly for a few minutes. Johnny stares ahead and focuses on the road as he tries to quell his rage. Carson constantly glances at him, awkward and anxious.

            “You um you don’t wanna know what you did to Mr. Mussolini to incite his wrath like this?” he asks.

            “No,” Johnny replies plainly.

            “B-but why not?”

            “I don’t care about what I did,” he says with annoyance, “I don’t remember anything from my past. So what does it matter?”

            Carson’s quiet for a few seconds before sighing.

            “Over seven years ago, you, Suzuki, and I were hitmen working under Mr. Mussolini,” he explains, “we killed anyone who didn’t pay their debts. And we were good at it. But one day you refused to do a job. Suzu and I were so surprised, we didn’t do it either. And our target escaped the city. Mr. Mussolini was angry and he came to our apartment with five men. Suzu tried to get us out of it, but he didn’t care. He shot her and she died instantly.”

            “You were furious. You flew into a white, hot rage. You killed all of Mr. Mussolini’s men before attacking him. You didn’t kill him right away, you just cut him ribbons. But somehow, Mr. Mussolini managed to shoot you right in the forehead.”

            “You were both dead. You had no pulse and you weren’t breathing. We took you to the morgue. But almost a week later, you disappeared. There were search teams looking for you for months, but you were never found. Until a few weeks ago when I was visiting our old apartment building and I saw you there with those girls.”

            “Mussolini didn’t die from your attack, but he has been horribly disfigured from the scars. He wants revenge for what you did. That’s why he had your kid and friends kidnapped. He wants to ruin your life.”

            There’s an awkward silence for a second once Carson finishes.

            “Are you finally done?” Johnny asks, irritated. “Fuck, I thought you would never shut up.”

            “Wh-what?” Carson questions.

          “I said I didn’t care about what I did. I don’t care about my past. I don’t remember any of it,” he snaps, “Mussolini’s motives don’t matter. All that matters are his actions, which you’re all gonna pay for.”

            Carson keeps his mouth shut as bloodlust starts radiating from Johnny. He only talks to curtly tell him directions until they eventually pull up outside Mussolini Banks Head Office.

            They get out of the car and head up the steps and through the front door.

            The lobby is bustling with important looking people in suits. None of them pay any attention to Carson or Johnny as they head to the front desk.

            “He’s with me,” Carson tells the receptionist. She barely nods as they pass by and hurry to the elevator.

            It’s thankfully empty. They step inside and Carson hits the button for the top floor. The uninterrupted ride up seems to take a century.

            Finally the doors open and Johnny and Carson step out into a completely empty hallway with rows of doors on each side and two large double doors on the far end.

            “Um okay. That’s Mr. Mussolini’s office,” Carson says as he points to the double doors. “We have to go there fir-.”

            “Wait, shut up,” Johnny orders, “do you hear that?”

            Carson immediately obeys and listens. He hears shrill shrieking on levels only dogs should hear, immature, violent threats, and lots and lots of cursing.

            “That one,” Johnny deduces as he points to a nearby door.

            “N-no,” Carson argues, “I have to take you to Mr. Mussolini fir-.”

            “Hey,” Johnny growls as he grabs the front of Carson’s shirt. “What did I say?”

            “Um,” Carson whimpers.

            “Shut up,” he snaps before shoving him away and marching to the door.

            Meanwhile, within one of the many offices on the top floor, Devi and Tenna thrash about the floor, their hands tied behind their back and ankles bound together. Their captors- two men and a woman- watch them with disgust, bewilderment, and an ounce of fear as they shout and snap like wild animals.

            “Oh, would you just shut up already?” the girl begs.

            “I’m going to break every fucking bone in your face!” Devi barks, “you fucking assholes. Do you have any idea what Johnny will do to you once he finds out you took Squee?”

            “Ha, yeah!” Tenna laughs cruelly, “by the time he’s done, not even your momma will recognize you.”

            She giggles maniacally while Devi just glares at them and struggles with her restraints.

            “Hey, aren’t we allowed to beat these two up?” one of the men asks, “why haven’t we done that yet?”

            “You wanna go near them, be my guest,” the other scoffs.

            “Yeah. Come over here,” Tenna purrs.

            “Yeah, I’ll bite your fucking ear off,” Devi hisses.

            “Guh, you are so un-ladylike,” the girl comments.

            “Right, and you’re a fucking queen,” she spits.

            Their banter is cut off when the doorknob suddenly starts jiggling. Everyone turns and looks at it with surprise.

            “Locked,” a voice on the other side scoffs. It’s quiet for a second before the door suddenly flies off its hinges and smashes into the floor inches away from everyone.

            Johnny lowers his foot as he walks in and looks around, reaching into his jacket.

            “Johnny!” Devi and Tenna exclaim.

            “What the fuck?” one of the men snaps as they all draw their guns and aim at him.

            “Wait, put your guns down!” Carson shouts as he rushes in, but it’s too late. Johnny strikes like a beast and slices off the hand of the closest assailant. The gun remains clutched in his fist as it bounces off the floor. He doesn’t even have time to scream before his neck is slit.

            The others shout in fear and panic as they stumble back, hands quivering on their guns. Johnny faces them, eyes narrowed angrily, before charging.

            The girl screams and tries to shoot at him. Johnny grabs her arm and points the gun to the ceiling as he stabs her in the gut. She coughs up blood before he yanks his knife up and slices her whole torso open.

            The last man trembles as Johnny looks at him. He shakenly drops his gun and raises his hands.

            “A-alright. Alright, you win,” he croaks, “I give up. You hear me? I give up.”

            Johnny looks at him curiously before scoffing. He charges him, yanks on his shirt, and drives his knife through his forehead. He slowly pulls the blade out and lets the body fall to the floor.

            “Johnny!” Devi calls, “Johnny, get us out of these!”

            Johnny turns to them and hurries to their side. He puts his bloody knives on the floor and grabs a switchblade from his jacket, which he uses to carefully cut apart their restraints.

            “Johnny, Johnny, listen,” Devi orders as he frees her wrists. “They have Squee somewhere else. We tried to help him but we couldn’t get close to him. He was trying so hard to get away and they were so rough with him.”

            “Don’t worry. I’ll find him,” Johnny grunts as he finishes freeing Tenna. They all stand up. The girls rub their sore wrists.

            “My car is parked out front,” he says as he pulls his keys out of his pocket and hands them to Devi. “Wait there. And don’t try anything.”  
            “Fine,” Devi sighs as she takes the keys. “But be careful.”

            The girls leave the room, glaring at Carson along the way, and hurry to the elevator. Johnny leaves not long after, using a cloth to clean his knives before sticking them back in his jacket.

            “Now where’s Squee?” he asks.

            Carson swallows hard and shakenly points at the double doors at the end of the hall. Johnny stares at them for a second before marching to them.

           

            Squee gags as a mobster punches him in the stomach. He pants as saliva and blood drip from his wide open mouth and splash onto the puddle on the floor. Two men are holding him by the arms, keeping him up on his weak, quivering legs. He’s covered in purples bruises, cuts, gashes, and his left eye is black and swelling.

            His attacker grabs Squee by his hair and yanks his head up so they’re eye to eye. “That’s what you get for knocking me out, you little bitch,” he hisses before letting him go and stomping away. He joins his allies at Mussolini’s table.

            Mussolini watches, amused from his seat. From the second Squee showed up, he’s had his men beat the crap out of the little boy. But the kid’s stronger than he looks. He hasn’t cried out or begged for them stop once.

            “Alright, who’s next?” Mussolini asks. Everyone begins arguing about who should get the pleasure of beating him next.

            “Sir, isn’t that enough now?” one of the girls asks. “I mean he’s just a kid.”

            “Yes. He’s Johnny’s kid,” Mussolini hisses, “and when he gets here I want him to be near unrecognizable. I want Johnny’s agony to be visible on his face. I want to relish in his pain. Then my vengeance will truly be complete.”

            He starts to laugh at the thought but stops when he hears Squee spit on the floor. Mussolini looks at him with curiosity. Squee is glaring at him with exhaustion and anger.

            “It’s pointless,” he coughs, blood dripping from his cut-up lips. “Your vengeance has no meaning. Johnny doesn’t remember any of his past. How can you get your revenge when he can feel no remorse for something he doesn’t remember doing?”

            “It’s not about him remembering,” Mussolini snaps as he jumps to his feet. “It’s about what he did. Look at my face!” He leans in real close to Squee, so they’re only inches apart, as he points at himself. His face is horribly scarred. There’s one long scar crossing diagonally from the top right of his forehead to the bottom left of his chin, two cutting through his lips, one going right across the bridge of nose and ending under both eyes, another at the bottom right of his chin and going right down his neck, and three crisscrossing over his bald scalp. His body is probably just as bad if not worse, but he’s wearing a suit so it’s hard to tell.

            “He disfigured me,” Mussolini hisses, “tore apart my handsome face. I want him to feel the same humiliation and agony I did. I want to ruin him just like he ruined me.”

            Squee grins humourlessly. “If physical pain is the best you can do, I’m afraid you won’t get the results you’re looking for.”

            Mussolini snarls with angry and slaps the back of his hand across Squee’s face. He gasps in pain as more blood and saliva sprays out of his mouth.

            “All gloves are off,” Mussolini announces as he goes back to his chair. “Tear him apart. I want him to be in so much pain, he can’t even talk. But keep him alive.”

            His underlings giggle maniacally as they approach Squee. His captors lift him up higher and hold him tight. Squee grits his teeth, clenches his fists, and hopes it won’t hurt too much.

            There’s a loud clatter as the double doors are suddenly smashed open. Everyone spins around with surprise, hands on their guns.

            Johnny lowers his leg and looks around the room. His eyes immediately fall on Squee and he flinches back, gasping with surprise.

            “You made it,” Mussolini says excitedly.

            Johnny snarls and glares at him with rage. He starts to walk through the doorway.

            “No, no,” Mussolini tuts and snaps his fingers. Johnny freezes as his henchman point their guns at him and Squee’s two captors point their guns at Squee. “We need to talk first. If you take one more step, we’ll blow your little kid’s head off.”         

            “J-Johnny,” Squee whimpers.

            Johnny straightens his back and takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “Squee, do me a favour, okay?”

            Squee looks at him curiously. Johnny smiles at him. “Close your eyes.”

            Squee immediately obliges and squeezes his eyes closed.

            Johnny reaches into his jacket. In a flash of black and silver, he whips out a long, thin knife and throws it across the room. It embeds itself in the forehead of one of Squee’s captors, and he falls to the floor dead.

            Everybody’s so stunned they don’t have time to react before Johnny is racing through the room. He grabs another knife which he uses to slice the neck of Squee’s second captor.

            Squee’s weak legs nearly buckle underneath him, but Johnny quickly catches him and scoops him up with one arm. Squee grips his shirt and holds on tight.

            The mobsters start shooting. Johnny dashes away, zigzagging across the room and closing one of the doors behind him for cover. Squee buries his face into Nny’s chest as the bullets whiz by them.

            Johnny races down the hall, clutching Squee close. He slides to a stop at a door marked ‘Emergency Stairwell’, throws it open, and ducks inside at the top of the stairs. Carson quickly joins him to escape the wild gunfire.

            The shooting soon stops. Johnny glares up at Carson. Carson looks down at him with surprise.

            “Get out of here,” Johnny snaps as he shoves him back into the hallway. Then he gently rests Squee on the floor in front of him. He looks up at him with wide eyes- well, one eye is wide; the other one is nearly swollen shut.

            Johnny flinches, a pained expression on his face. He pulls off his gloves and gently runs a finger over Squee’s black eye. He flinches on impulse but otherwise shows no discomfort.

            “Squee, I’m sorry this happened,” Nny sighs, “I should’ve looked into these guys the second I sensed something was off. But I didn’t wanna freak you out.”

            “I’m sorry too, Nny,” Squee says, “a few of these guys tried to break in through my window last night. I heard them talking about you and Carson and Mussolini. I should’ve told you but I didn’t want you to worry.”

          Nny laughs weakly and runs his hand through Squee’s hair. “We had the same idea in mind.”

            Squee smiles shakenly and leans into the touch.

            “Johnny,” Mussolini calls from down the hall. “Are you still there? We have to talk, you know.”

            Johnny snarls. He gives Squee one more pat on the head before standing up. “Wait here.”

            “Wait, Nny!” Squee begs as he grips his arm. “They have guns! What if they sho-… what if you get-…what if they hurt you?”

            Johnny looks at him anxiously. He tries to think of something to say that might calm his nerves before remembering something.

            “Oh, I almost forgot,” he says as he reaches into his jacket and pulls out Shmee.

           Squee beams happily. He takes his bear and hugs him tight. Johnny smiles and rubs his head.

            “I’ll be back,” he promises, “you just wait here.”

            Johnny leaves the stairwell, pulling his gloves back on, and immediately grabs Carson by the front of shirt and drags him about halfway down the hall before slamming him against the wall.

            “Listen,” he hisses, “if I’m not back in an hour, you take Squee to the girls at my car. Tell Devi to stop at my house, pick up Nugget, and keep them both at her place. Do not let either of them back into the building. I don’t care what you have to do, as long as none of them get hurt. Do you understand?”

            Carson trembles and nods shakenly.

            “Good,” Johnny grunts as he lets him go and marches back to Mussolini’s office. He draws his two main knives from his jacket as he steps through the doorway.

            “Oh, good, you came back,” Mussolini purrs.

            Johnny just glares at him, his eyes narrowing.

            “Do you remember me?” he asks, “it might be a little difficult. It has been quite a few years and my face looks very different compared to back then. That’s your fault, by the way. It’s me, Mussolini. Your old boss.”

            “I don’t know you,” Johnny states.

            “What?” he questions.

            “I don’t know you,” he says again, “I don’t remember you. The Johnny you knew is long gone. The Johnny that’s here now is going to fucking annihilate every last one of you.”

            Mussolini scoffs. “Do you hear what you’re saying? You’re surrounded by nearly a dozen armed mobsters. You think you can kill every one of them without getting shot? That’s ridiculous. And when you do get shot, my men will capture your kid and friends again, and we’ll make you watch as we beat them to death. Assuming you don’t die that is.”

            Johnny spits. “If guns could kill me, I would be long dead.”

            He lifts his knife and slices through the wrists of a nearby mobster without even blinking. His gun and severed hands tumble along the floor. He stares at them with surprise before he starts shrieking. He’s cut short when Johnny cuts his head off.

            After that it’s a blood-soaked massacre. Johnny whips around the room, slicing everyone to pieces. They try to shoot him but the bullets only scrape him at best. He’s too fast and they’re too frazzled.

            Mussolini watches from his chair, bewildered and speechless, as his underlings’ body parts and blood fly all around the room. Then suddenly Johnny is on the table before him, almost like magic. He pants as he glares down him. Mussolini stares up, mouth agape. Looking into those eyes that seem to hold no sense of humanity, Mussolini feels true, hopeless fear.

            Johnny presses his foot to Mussolini’s face and pushes, knocking his chair backwards. His sharply cleated boots scratch his skin. He rubs his face as he lies on the floor.

            Johnny hops off the table and stands over top of him, a foot on either side of his chest. He kneels over him and presses the blade of his knife to his jugular.

            “I oughta kill you right now,” he snarls, “I should make you scream for what you did. I should make you feel so much pain, you forget you ever felt anything else.”

            Mussolini trembles fearfully underneath him.

            “But I won’t,” Johnny states as he stands up, taking his knife away from Mussolini’s neck. He stares up at him with surprise and cautious relief.

            “You’re the president of the biggest bank corporation in the city and boss of the crime syndicate. Your death would just cause problems, especially if it were murder,” he explains, “I mean, come on, I’m not a mindless maniac.”

            “However,” he adds, “you’re not going to get off this easy.”

            Johnny grips his knife and swings it down Mussolini’s face, slicing through his left eye. He wails in pain as he grips his face, blood pouring through his fingers.

            “There,” Johnny grunts as he steps away from the writhing Mussolini. “I’ll leave you one eye so you can, you know, sign paperwork or whatever you do. Later.”

            He leaves the room, stepping over bodies, severed limbs, and puddles of blood as he wipes his blades clean with a cloth. He pulls off his soiled gloves and sticks it all back into his jacket.

            Carson stares at him, eyes and mouth wide open as he strides down the hallway.

            “You uh got quite the mess to clean up back there,” Johnny says he walks by.

            Squee gets up onto his quivering legs as Johnny approaches him. His relief is clear on his face. He stumbles forward and hugs him tight, wrapping his arms around his midsection and pressing his face into his stomach. Johnny hugs him back, resting one hand on his shoulder and the other on the back of his head.

            “Can you walk?” Johnny asks as they split apart.

            “Um,” Squee hums uncertainly. Johnny immediately scoops him up in his arms and carries him princess-style.

            “How do we get out of here?” Johnny asks Carson.

            “Uh just go down those stairs,” he replies quietly, “they’ll take you to an emergency exit on the side of the building.”

            “Cool,” Johnny grunts and heads down the stairs.

            “You know, I uh I used my Startling Bomb and Sleepy Bomb on some of those guys,” Squee says.

          “Really? That’s awesome,” Johnny laughs, “you should’ve used your Smiley Bombs, though.”

            “I didn’t wanna hurt anybody,” he points out.

            “More people should have that mindset.”  
            Carson watches them leave until they’ve disappeared down the stairwell. Then he enters a nearby office and stands at the window. From here he can see Johnny’s car parked outside and the two girls waiting by it. The brown haired one is sitting on the hood while the purple haired one paces back and forth. Johnny and Squee arrive shortly. The girls immediately rush up to them. They’re clearly worried about Squee as they coddle him.

           They leave soon. The girls get into the front seat, Devi driving, and Johnny gets into the back, Squee sitting on his lap. Carson watches them leave until they’ve disappeared out of sight. Then he sighs and heads to Mussolini’s office to deal with the mess.


	53. Fanatics 35.5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things go back to normal after Nny's fight with Mussolini.

The Past Returns Part Five

 

            The morning bells rings and the students sit in their desks. The announcements are read over the intercom. Miss Sweeties begins taking attendance.

            “Squee?” she calls. Nobody answers. “He’s still not here? That’s the third day in a row. I hope nothing bad happened.”

            She’s not the only one. Zim, Dib, and Pepito look at each other worriedly. They haven’t heard a thing from Squee the last two days. If they hear nothing today, they are definitely stopping by his house

            The classroom door suddenly opens and Squee walks in.

            “Sorry I’m late,” he says frantically.

            “Squee!” Miss Sweeties exclaims as the entire class gasps. “What happened to you?”

            There are bandages all over Squee’s face and his left eye is completely bruised- but it’s not swollen anymore. And though they can’t see it under his clothes, he has gauze wrapped all up both arms and bandages all over his torso and legs. No matter how one looks at it, it definitely looks like he was in a fight.

            “I um…fell down the stairs,” he states.

            “Oh, alright,” Miss Sweeties says, “sit down please.”

            Squee hurries across the room and sits in his desk. He grunts in pain and rubs his back.

            “Alright, Squee,” Pepito whispers suspiciously, “what really happened?”

            “I’m sorry I didn’t text you guys back,” Squee whispers back, “and I’m sorry I was late. It took me a long time to convince Nny I’m well enough to go to Skool.”

            “What happened to you?” Zim asks.

            “I’ll tell you guys later,” he promises as Miss Sweeties finishes attendance and class begins.

 

            “I still can’t believe you didn’t kill the guy,” Devi says as she sits on the couch with Johnny and Tenna.

            “Which one? Carson or Mussolini?” Johnny asks.

            “Both,” they respond simultaneously.

            Nny shrugs. “Mussolini’s death would’ve caused problems. I’m not a total psycho.”

            “Could’ve fooled me,” Devi comments.

            “And Carson is…just too pathetic to kill,” he scoffs.

            “But is it alright just leaving them?” Tenna asks, “I mean what if they try to go after you again?”

            “Then I’ll just kill them again,” he shrugs, “and I gave Mussolini a fair warning before. I think he’ll leave us alone for a while.”  
            “I can’t believe how petty he is,” Devi snarls, “I’ll never go to one of his banks.”

            “Like you even had enough money to,” Johnny scoffs.

            “Well, if I did, I wouldn’t,” she snaps.

           Tenna laughs at their little back and forth but she’s suddenly cut off when the doorbell rings. The three of them look at the door curiously. Johnny hops to his feet and answers it. He’s surprised to see Carson standing there, look meek and scared.             

            “What do you want?” Johnny growls.

            “I um wanted to take you somewhere,” he replies.

            “Is this another trap?” he asks.

            “No. Mr. Mussolini doesn’t know I’m here. This is all me.”

            Johnny looks at him curiously. “Fine,” he relents. Carson looks pretty happy at the answer.

            “Hey, I’m going out,” he tells the girls. “So do you maybe wanna leave?”

            “Nah,” Devi replies as she and Tenna get comfortable on the couch.

            “Whatever,” Johnny growls with annoyance and leaves.

            They walk down to the road and Johnny looks around for Carson’s car, but doesn’t see it. “What, did you walk here?”  
            “Yeah,” Carson replies with humiliation. “Mr. Mussolini…confiscated my car.”

            Nny has to hold in a scoff. “Fine. We’ll take mine,” he declares and they climb inside. “So where are we going?”

            “Um the North Cemetery,” he replies.

            Johnny looks at him curiously but doesn’t question it. He starts the car and they take off.

            The drive is quiet and awkward. The only thing that breaks the silence is the radio, which they’re both thankful for.

            When they finally arrive at the cemetery, Johnny parks his car on the side of the road and they get out. Carson leads him through the front gates and they march past the gravestones. He clearly knows where he’s going.

            They reach their destination and Johnny reads the inscription: ‘Suzuki Kyo.’

          “Why’d you bring me here?” he asks, “I don’t know this girl. If anything, this is disrespectful.”

            “I know but she knew you,” Carson points out, “I think she’d be happy to see you.”

            Johnny looks down at the tombstone. He doesn’t feel anything reading the name. No sadness, or anger, or remorse. He really didn’t know this person.

            “You know,” Carson says, “the reason you couldn’t kill our target a long time ago was because he had a little girl with him. His daughter. You seemed very disturbed when you saw them together. I remember she was really scared and he was comforting her, even though you were right there about to kill him. He didn’t seem to care. All that mattered to him was his daughter.”

            “Two days ago, when you rescued your kid, you were looking at him the exact way he had looked at her. You both had the exact same eyes.”  
            Johnny watches him curiously, wondering where he’s going with this.

            “I had never seen you with such a…soft expression before. When we worked together, you always looked angry or exhausted. And you never once showed any compassion or consideration to anybody, least of all Suzu and I.”

            “I don’t understand,” he growls as his fists start trembling. “You haven’t changed much since then. You’re still angry and temperamental and crazy. But you obviously care for that kid. Why? Why didn’t you care for us? Why didn’t you show the same kindness to us? Why did you seem to hate me so much when I looked up to you?”

            Johnny stares at him with surprise before looking away and scoffing, “why would you look up to someone like me?”

            Carson doesn’t reply. Johnny folds his arms and looks up at the sky.

            “What time is it?” he asks suddenly.

            “What? Oh, um about three o’clock,” Carson replies.

            “I gotta pick up Squee from Skool soon,” Johnny states and he turns. “Come on. You’re coming too.”

            Carson looks at him with surprise before trotting after him. They get into the car and Johnny drives to the Skool. He parks outside at the curb and they sit and wait.

            “I can’t speak for the Johnny you knew,” Nny says suddenly, “I have no idea how he thought. But if you’re wondering why the me of today hates you, and what the difference between you and Squee is, I can tell you that.”

            Carson looks at him expectantly.

            “You’re a coward,” Johnny states, “but so is Squee. There are very few things in the whole entirety of the universe that Squee isn’t afraid of. But he doesn’t let his fears control him. If anything, he uses them to push himself forward.”

            “You’re the exact opposite. Your fears rule over you and beat you like you’re their slave. It’s the reason you helped me; it’s the reason you work for Mussolini; it’s the reason you were the only one who didn’t die that night. You’re a terrified, little coward.”

            “That’s the difference between you and Squee,” he declares, “and that’s why I hate you. You’re weak and pathetic. I can’t even be bothered to kill you.”

            Carson looks away and stares at his knees, dejected and deflated.

            Johnny perks up as the Skool bell rings and starts his car.

            “I want you to tell Mussolini something,” he says, “tell him the South End is my territory and if I see him or his goons there, I’ll kill them immediately. That includes you. He can have the North End, but the High Skool is under my thumb, so he better keep away from that too.”

            Carson nods weakly.

            “Now get the fuck out.”

            Carson gets out of the car without a word. He trudges down the sidewalk, head low, past all of the students leaving the Skool yard.

            Zim, Dib, Gaz, Pepito, and Squee leave the Skool. They’re chatting about their plans for the night when Squee spots Carson coming down the sidewalk. He stops abruptly. The others stop with him and they all watch Carson.

            Carson recognizes Squee immediately. They stare at each other as he passes by.

            “You want us to kick his ass for you?” Pepito asks.

            “No, that’s okay,” Squee replies as he looks away. “His crew may have beat the snot out of me, but in the end I won, and he knows that.”

            Squee looks at Carson as he watches him over his shoulder. He smiles and waves happily.

            Carson freezes and spins around, a mix of confused, surprised, and outraged. Squee just beams as he turns and continues down the sidewalk.

            “I’ll text you guys later,” Squee promises as he opens the car door. Zim and the others wave goodbye to each other and they split off.

            Johnny watches Carson curiously as he fumes, his face flushed with anger. He starts chuckling as Squee gets into the car.

            “You really pissed him off,” he comments.

            “I decided he’s not a weasel,” Squee declares, “he’s more like a worm.”

            Johnny nods. “Yeah, I see it.”

            They drive away as they talk about their day. Everything’s cheerful again. They may have run into some trouble, but that’s nothing new. And as usual, it was nothing they couldn’t handle.


	54. Fanatics 36.1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Final exams are coming up and Pepito receives some distressing news.

Finals of the Damned Part One

 

            The students sit quietly in their desks as they wait for the final bell to ring. Normally at this time they’d be talking about their plans for the night but not today. Right now most everyone is doing some quick studying. Final exams are in two weeks.

            The bell rings. Everyone grabs their books and start leaving.

            “Uh, Pepito,” Miss Sweeties says quickly, “can I speak with you for a second?”

            Pepito looks at her with surprise. He glances questionably at Squee for a second before nodding, “yeah. Alright.”

            Zim, Dib, and Squee are little slower at leaving than everyone else. Pepito smiles and gives them a quick wave as he stands in front of the teacher’s desk.

            Miss Sweeties waits until everyone’s gone before standing up and facing him.

            “Pepito, I have some bad news,” she sighs, “with the state your grades are in, I’m afraid you’re not going to have enough credits to pass ninth grade.”

            “What?” Pepito exclaims, “I’m going to be held back!?”

           “Now, now. That’s still unlikely,” she says quickly, “summer school is still an option. And also, I was looking at the numbers and if you pass all of your exams with a seventy percent or higher, then you will be able to move on to tenth grade.”

            “Seventy percent,” he groans, “but I’ve never gotten higher than a sixty before.”

            “It’s either that or summer school,” she shrugs, “I suggest you start studying.”

            Pepito sighs miserably as he leaves the classroom. He really doesn’t want to go to summer school but how could he possibly hope to get seventy percent on his final exams? There’s no way!

            About an hour later, the Battalion meets at Zim’s house for a team meeting. Pepito quickly details him on his tale of woe.

            “Held back?” Zim exclaims.

            “That’s ridiculous,” Dib comments, “how could your grades be that bad?”

            “I’m not very good at…academics,” Pepito admits.

            “Neither is Zim but he’s still passing,” he points out.

            “Zim is great at everything,” Zim states.

            “Whatever,” Pepito groans, “if I don’t get seventy percent on all of my exams, then I’m gonna have to take summer school.”

            “Well, that’s not that bad,” Squee shrugs.

            “But I don’t wanna take summer school!” he whines.

            “Maybe you should’ve thought of that before you failed all of your classes,” Gaz grunts.

            Pepito groans and glares at her.

            “This will not stand!” Zim exclaims, “who do they think they are, trying to split apart my team?”

            “I don’t think they’re doing that, Zim,” Dib says, “besides, we weren’t going to be together anyway.”

            “What? Why not?” he questions.

            “Miss Sweeties explained it to us. Weren’t you listening?” he scolds, “students with above average marks, like Squee and I, are going to be in the advanced classes next year while students with average or below will be in the…um lower? No, that’s not right. Uh, what’s the opposite of advanced?”

            “Dumb,” Gaz replies.

            “No, that’s…that’s…” Dib trails off and shakes his head. “The point is Squee and I will be in different classes than you and Pepito next year anyway.”

            “What? That’s outrageous!” Zim exclaims.

            “It’s not a big deal,” Dib shrugs, “we’ll still share the same homeroom and we can all pick the same options.”

            “But why do you and Squee get the ‘advanced’ classes?” he questions angrily.

            “Well, that’s easy. Squee and I are geniuses,” Dib replies plainly.

            “Uh I-I don’t know about that,” Squee says squeamishly, “you maybe. But not me.”

            “Don’t be silly. You’re a total genius,” he insists.

            “Yeah, you are!” Pepito exclaims with realization. “You can tutor me!”

            “What?” Squee exclaims with surprise.

            “Please, Squee,” he begs, “you can totally do it. You’re smart and patient. You’ll make a great teacher.”

            “Well…I don’t want you to get held back,” Squee muses, “and seventy is an easy enough score to get. I guess I can tutor you.”

            “Yes! Thank you!” Pepito squeals. He gives him a quick kiss on the cheek and hugs him tight.

            “You’re welcome,” Squee smiles, “um we can start tomorrow after Skool, at your place.”

            “Sounds great,” he nods.

            “Yeah. And how about this weekend we all get together for a study session?” Dib suggests.

            “Sounds like a plan,” Pepito agrees.

            “Good, good. Now that that’s settled, everyone must leave,” Zim orders, “Zim has brooding to do.”

            “You’re not gonna dwell on the fact that we’re in separate classes next year, are you?” Dib asks wearily, “it’s not a big deal.”

            “Don’t be silly,” he scoffs, “Zim does not dwell.”

            The next hour Zim spends dwelling on the fact that they’re in separate classes next yet. He paces back and forth in his lab while Skoodge, Gir, and Minimoose watch with mild amusement until finally he collapses in his chair and calls Kio.

            “Greetings, Zim,” she smiles, “what can I do for you?”

            He quickly fills her in on his anguish. She listens intently but sighs wearily when he’s done.

            “I really doubt that’s their intent, Zim,” she says.

            “Of course it is!” Zim argues, “the Skool is feeling threatened by the strength of my team so they seek to tear us apart. What else could it be?”

            “It’s just part of the system,” Kio shrugs.

            “Well, the system is going to pay,” he declares.

            “Don’t go punishing innocent humans, Zim,” she scolds, “you should feel proud of Dib and Squee.”

            “Proud?” he questions.

            “Of course. You’re their leader. You should be happy that two of your subordinates are so smart and successful.”

            “I see. And what does being ‘proud’ entail?”

            Kio considers the question. “I suppose…rewarding them on a job well done.”  
            “The Tallest never did anything like that,” Zim points out.

            “Yeah, well, you’re a much better leader than the Tallest,” she insists.

            Zim leans back in his chair, contemplating Kio’s suggestion. “Well, they have been working really hard lately. And we’ve been even more amazing than ever.”

            Kio grins approvingly.

            “But how should I reward them?” he asks.

            “Well, humans generally throw parties for situations such as these,” she suggests.

            Zim considers it but shakes his head. “No, Squee wouldn’t like going to a party. Dib and Gaz probably wouldn’t either.”

            “See, it’s knowing those things that make you a great leader,” Kio points out happily before clearing her throat and getting back to the matter at hand. “When humans gather in one place for a small celebration, they refer to it as a ‘get-together’. Why don’t you try that? Just you and your team?”

            “How would that be any different from when we usually get together?” Zim asks.

            “You could put up decorations and perhaps get them treats,” she replies.

            “That could work,” Zim nods, “we could do it the day after finals. It’d be a nice way to unwind. But it might take some time to set up.”

            “I’m glad I could help,” Kio smiles, “I’ll talk to you later.”

            “Oh, yeah, right. Bye,” Zim half waves as he thinks hard about his new plan.

            The next day everyone files into the Skool for another day of learning and studying. Many are reminding themselves ‘two weeks, just two more weeks.’

            Zim, Dib, Gaz, Pepito, and Squee walk to their lockers together. Gaz splits off right away since her locker is farther away from the boys’.

            Dib is going on and on about this documentary on pixies he watched last night and how they might be way more dangerous than media suggests. As usual the others are only half listening, but Zim seems even more out of it than normal. He’s staring at the floor, rubbing his chin, and occasionally muttering something under his breath.

            “Uh, Zim?” Squee questions, shocking him out of his daze.

            “Wh-what?” he asks.

            “Are you alright?”

            “Fine!” Zim replies loud and curtly. “Noth-nothing to concern yourselves with.”

            Dib, Pepito, and Squee stare at him questionably.

            “I’ll see you guys in class!” he declares before rushing off and disappearing into the sea of kids.

            “Is he okay?” Squee asks.

            “Who knows,” Dib sighs.

            They continue on without incident. But as Pepito and Squee start to leave Dib at his locker, a girl suddenly appears before them and blocks their path. She has dark skin and long black hair tied into high pigtails and she’s dressed like a Goth Lolita. She stares at them with intense determination.

            “Uh…hi?” Pepito says.

            “You two!” she barks pointing at Dib and Squee. “I hear you’re the smartest people in our grade.”

            “You heard correctly,” Dib replies proudly while Squee awkwardly rubs his arm.

            “I demand you tutor me for the upcoming exams,” she orders.

            “What?” he questions with irritation.

            “You will tutor me in the library after Skool.”

            “Ah, but-,” Squee tries to argue.

            “End of discussion,” she declares before marching off.

            The boys stare after her with bewilderment and confusion.

            “Who the hell was that?” Dib asks.

            “I have no idea,” Pepito replies.

            The first bell rings. The boys quickly scatter with the other student to grab their books and hurry to class to begin a day of intense reviewing.


	55. Fanatics 36.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tutoring and baked goods are the least of the Battalion's problems as a mysterious classmate tries to make things difficult.

Finals of the Damned Part Two

 

            Zim, Dib, Gaz, Squee, and Pepito sit at their usual table in the cafeteria. Gaz plays her Game Slave while the boys pick at their food. Dib’s been complaining about their latest problems: a mysterious girl has roped him and Squee into tutoring her.

            “Who is she?” Gaz asks apathetically.

            “No idea,” Dib replies.

            “And you’re going to tutor her?” she questions.

            “Of course not. But we couldn’t say no. She wouldn’t let us get a word in.”

            “You shouldn’t have let you push her around,” Zim growls, “who does she think she is, pushing you guys around. That’s my job.”

            “You know what, you’re right,” Dib exclaims, “or half right at least. We can’t be pushed around by some random person. Come on, Squee. We’re gonna find that girl and tell her we won’t tutor her.”

            “Eh, I don’t know, Dib,” Squee mutters, “there’s something about that girl. Shmee senses it too. She’s…unsettling.”

            “It’s just because she’s Goth,” Pepito comments.

            “I don’t think so,” he grunts.

            “Well, whatever you think might be up with her, we still can’t tutor her,” Dib points out, “aren’t you going to tutor Pepito?”

            “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Squee mumbles.

            “Great. Let’s go,” Dib orders. He grabs Squee’s arm and drags him out of the cafeteria.

            Squee stumbles behind Dib as he marches down the hall. He looks around with determination, in search of the mysterious Goth Lolita.

            “We don’t even know this girl. How are we going to find her?” Squee asks.

            “She’d be on lunch right now. She must be somewhere,” Dib replies, “maybe she’s studying. Let’s check the library.”

            They hurry through the Skool to the large library. Dib bursts through the door dramatically and is immediately shushed by the librarian. Squee skulks by him and looks around.

            “There she is,” he says as he points at a table. The Goth girl is sitting there reading a textbook and drinking a juice box.

            “Good. Let’s go,” Dib demands.

            “Dib, I’m really not sure about this,” Squee whimpers, “she’s got a bad vibe about her.”

            “It’s nothing we can’t handle,” Dib insists and marches up to her. Squee follows out of obligation.

            The Goth Lolita looks up at them with surprise. “What do you guys want?”

            “We’re not going to tutor you,” Dib states.

            “What?” she snarls and stands up. “We had already established you would tutor me after Skool.”

            “Oh,” Squee moans fearfully.

            “You’re okay,” Dib says reassuringly and glares at the girl. “We established nothing. You just demanded it. We don’t even know you.”

            “My name is Bianca,” she grunts.

            “Oh, well, okay…” Dib mutters, “b-but we still can’t tutor you. We got other people to worry about. And tutoring you hardly benefits us.”

            “You want benefits? Fine,” she growls, “either you tutor me and help me pass my exams or I make your life a living Hell. You have no idea what I’m capable of. I could break you down into a writhing puddle. Tutor me, and I won’t. How’s that for benefits?”

            Dib is completely speechless. Bianca whips her hair triumphantly and marches by. He watches her leave, stunned and aggravated.

            “I kind of blacked out. What happened?” Squee asks.

            Dib groans and hangs his head in defeat.

 

            Zim stares at the slightly imposing building. It fills him with mixed feelings. The smells drifting from it are sickening but the items displayed in the front window are tempting. The colours and textures look delicious, but the fact of what they are is disgusting.

            Zim takes a deep breath, then immediately gags from the smell. He shakes his head, holds it high, and marches through the front door of the bakery.

            It’s mostly empty except for a couple of old people sitting at a small table and gnawing on pastries. Zim eyes them with disgust before facing the clerk at the till.

            “Hello,” she says cheerfully, “what can I do for you?”

            “I want a cake,” Zim replies plainly.

            “Alright. Do you want one from the display or do you want to special order one?”

            “If I want something written on it, then does it have to be special ordered?” Zim questions.

            “Yes.”

            “Then special ordered.”

            “Okay,” the clerk says as she reaches under the counter and pulls out a binder full of laminated pages. “This book has all of our flavours for cakes, icings, and such. Take a minute to look through it and let me know what you want.”

            Zim takes the binder and starts leafing through the pages. It has pictures of all the different flavours of cake batter, icing, toppings, and anything else someone might want on a cake.

            “I’ll just have chocolate cake with chocolate icing,” Zim declares as he sets the binder back on the counter. He doesn’t know much about Earth desserts, but he figures chocolate is almost always the right answer.

            “Okay. And what do you want written on it?” the clerk asks.

            “Erm,” Zim groans with embarrassment as he rubs his neck. He can’t bring himself to say it; he could hardly take just writing it down.

He reaches into his sweater pocket and pulls out a little piece of folded paper, which he rests on the counter. The clerk takes it curiously.

            “This is what you want?” she asks as she reads it.

            Zim nods curtly.

            “Okay. And when would you like it?”

            “In two weeks on Friday,” he replies.

            “Oh, sure. That’s lots of time,” she smiles, “okay. We’ll have it for you then.”

            Zim nods approvingly before spinning on his heel and marching away. He keeps his head held high until he’s out of the bakery, then he lets out a huge sigh and relaxes his back.

            “Okay. Phase one, complete,” he declares. He takes a deep breath before walking away.

 

            Squee drops his textbooks on the coffee table and he and Pepito drop onto the couch. Today is their first study session. Pepito’s mom is still at work, so they’re alone in his house. Ordinarily this would be ideal for tutoring, but it’s not every day Pepito is alone with Squee like this.

            “Okay. We’ll start with science,” Squee declares.

            “Uh, right,” Pepito mumbles. Squee’s sitting so close to him, their shoulders are nearly touching. Pepito breathes in deeply, and his scent wafts up his nostrils.

            Squee flips open the science textbook to chapter one and places it on their laps. He rests one hand between them on the couch and the other on the page.

            “I’ll just summarize the chapter and we’ll do the review questions at the end,” he explains, “sound good?”

            “S-sure,” Pepito replies, his voice cracking slightly.

            Squee begins telling him about cells or something. Pepito tries to pay attention, he really does. But he’s alone with Squee, who’s so close to him. What boyfriend wouldn’t be distracted?

            He soon loses himself to temptation. He takes Squee’s hand in his, lacing their fingers together, and leans over, resting his chin on Squee’s shoulder.

            “The mitochondria is the-.” Squee stops abruptly as Pepito starts nuzzling his neck. “Pepito, we’re trying to study. Remember?”

            “I know, I know,” Pepito says quickly, “but I’m having a hard time concentrating.”

            Squee’s expression fills with annoyance as Pepito starts nipping at his neck. “Maybe we should study somewhere else.”

            A few minutes later they’re sitting in Squee’s living room. They have reassumed the studying position, but this time Pepito doesn’t feel nearly as aroused.

            “There. Isn’t this more comfortable?” Squee asks.

            Pepito glances across the room, where Johnny is leaning against the wall and watching him with narrowed eyes.

            “No,” he pouts.

            “Good,” Squee chimes, “now then, as I was saying.”

            Squee continues his lesson on cells. Pepito does his best to listen, but none of it really sticks. That’s evident when they go through the chapter’s review questions.

            “That’s wrong,” Squee sighs as Pepito writes down an answer.

            “Ah, um. Then this?” he questions as he writes something else down.

            “No.”

            “Then um this…maybe?”

            “What do you mean ‘maybe’?” Squee growls, “are you even trying?”

            Pepito flinches under his stern glare. “I-I’m sorry. I know we just went over it but…I’m just having a hard time remembering.”

            Squee sighs, his face softening exponentially. “It’s alright. We’ll try again tomorrow.”

            He closes the textbook and stands up, stretching his arms. “I’m going to go to the bathroom. Then we’ll do some math.”

            Pepito watches him leave before groaning and leaning back in the couch.

            “Wow. I had no idea Squee could be so strict,” he comments.

            “Welcome to my world,” Johnny grunts.

            Once Squee gets back, they start going over math. Squee explains fractions and algebra fairly well. It definitely makes more sense than when the teacher did it. But Pepito still doesn’t really get. And once again, he does terrible on the review questions.

            “Wow. That’s really bad,” Johnny comments as he watches from over their shoulders. “It’s almost impressive.”

            “Shut up! Why are you even watching me?” Pepito snaps as he covers his paper.

            “Pepito’s right, Nny. You don’t have to watch like that,” Squee scolds.

            Johnny shrugs and strides away. Pepito glares at him before going back to his questions.

            “By the way, I forgot to ask,” he says, “what happened with that Goth chick? Was it all resolved?”

            “Um, not exactly,” Squee replies, “but Dib figured we should just ignore her.”

            “And you’re okay with that?” Pepito questions, “didn’t she give you a bad feeling?”

            “Well…” Squee grunts uncertainly, “Dib isn’t worried.”

            “And you’re going off his feelings? He’s almost as big a doofus as Zim,” he points out.      

            “Yeah but…I have bigger things to worry about,” he retorts, “like tutoring you. She’s just going to have to deal with it. Now enough about that. Let’s go over your horrid answers.”

            Pepito groans as Squee starts pointing out everything wrong with his math.

             Meanwhile, at the Skool, Bianca sits in the library, incessantly tapping her pencil on the table. Her rage overflows and it suddenly bursts into flames in her hand.

            “How dare they stand me up?” she growls, “who do they think they are? Who do they think I am? They won’t get away with this.”           

            She reaches to one of her belts and detaches a wand. She waves it around in a circle a couple times, creating a black swirl in midair. It spins around a couple times before splitting off into four creatures: a black cat, bat, spider, and snake.

            “My familiars shall teach them a lesson,” she growls, “they will not defy me again.”


	56. Fanatics 36.3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Battalion- mostly Zim- declares war on the young witch, Bianca.

Finals of the Damned Part Three

 

            “You ready to go?” Johnny asks.

            “Yup,” Squee replies as he straightens the bag strap across his chest.

            They start to head out the front door but immediately stop and exclaim with surprise when they see a black cat sitting on the step. They look at it with confusion as it stares up at them with red eyes.

            “That’s unsettling,” Johnny comments.

            They jump with surprise from a loud yowl behind them. Nugget races between them, hissing angrily, and charges the black cat. It yips with fear and runs off, Nugget right at its heels.

            “Nugget, don’t attack strays!” Squee scolds, “it’s undignified.” Johnny just laughs.

            Meanwhile, across the city, Dib and Gaz leave their house and head off to Skool. Dib’s going on and on about an article he read about Bigfoot. Gaz just ignores him as she plays her GS3.

            A black bat suddenly swoops in from out of nowhere and flutters around his head.

            “What? G-get out of here,” Dib grunts and swipes at it. It flies away for a second before returning and ramming into his hair.

            “Ah, stop! Get away from me!” he snaps. He scrambles away and swipes at it but it chases after him, bumping his head and getting caught in his scythe lock.

            “Gah, Gaz! Help!” Dib exclaims as he runs away from the relentless bat. Gaz lowers her game and watches with an amused expression.

           

            Squee and Pepito arrive at their lockers. Squee goes to open his, but immediately squeaks and retracts his hand. There’s a big, hairy, black spider sitting on the handle.

            It scuttles down the locker and across the floor. It almost seems to be charging Squee. He groans with disgust and fear and scrambles back to avoid it.

            Pepito’s boot comes down on the unsuspecting bug, squishing it to death.

            “Gross,” he comments. They glance at each other before going back to their lockers.

            Once they’ve grabbed their books, they head to the classroom. Zim is sitting at his desk but Dib is nowhere to be seen. They don’t worry too much though and just sit in their desks.

            He arrives not long before the bell rings, panting with exhaustion. He’s covered in dirt, his clothes are kind of tattered, his glasses are crooked, and his hair is frazzled.

            Pepito immediately cracks up.

            “Dib, what happened?” Squee asks.

            “I was attacked by a bat,” he replies as he sits in his desk.

            “A bat?” Zim questions.

            “It wouldn’t leave me alone!” he exclaims, “but eventually Gaz hit it with her bat, after she was all laughed out.”

            The bell rings as Miss Sweeties enters the classroom. The morning announcements are said over the intercom and she takes attendance. Everything is calm and boring.

            Until there is a high pitched squeal from the back of the classroom.

            “Snake!” Jessica shrieks.

            “Snake?” Squee squeaks.

             A black garter snake slithers through the classroom. All of the students jump onto their desks to avoid it, screaming with fear and surprise.

            Pepito suddenly grabs the creature by its neck and picks it up. “Cool,” he comments.

            “Ew, Pepito, put it down,” Zim whimpers, “that’s filthy.”

            “Aw, come on, Zim,” Pepito coos, “look at him.” He brings the snake to Zim’s face.

            “Nyeh!” he cries and jumps back, tumbling off his desk. Pepito snickers with amusement.

            “Okay, okay. Everybody calm down,” Miss Sweeties orders. She hurries to her supply closet and pulls out a large jar. “Pepito, put it in this.”

            “Alright,” he chuckles. He gently rests the snake in the bottom of the jar. He takes it and examines the little reptile. His smile disappears and he cocks his head curiously.

            “Okay, everybody back in your seats,” Miss Sweeties orders.

            Everyone calms down as they get back in their chairs. Pepito places the jar on his desk as he sits down, and watches the snake with suspicious eyes.

            Later at lunch, Pepito plants the jar in the middle of their cafeteria table. Zim, Dib, Squee, and Gaz look at it with surprise and disgust.

            “What are you still doing with that thing?” Squee asks, “set it free in the back field.”

            “I can’t. It’s not a wild snake,” Pepito replies, “it’s not even an Earth snake. It’s a demonic snake, summoned straight from the dankest pits of Hell.”

            “What? How can you tell?” Dib exclaims.

            “Obviously it’s because he’s from Hell,” Gaz scoffs.

            “Exactly,” Pepito nods, “and you know what? I think that spider I killed this morning was the same thing.”

            “The spider on my locker?” Squee questions.

            “Right. And demon spiders and snakes don’t just appear out of nowhere,” he points out, “somebody summoned these things and I don’t think it’s a stretch to say they’re out to get us. I mean just look at it.”

            The snake thrashes around in the jar, bumping its nose on the glass in the directions of Squee and Dib. It’s like it’s trying very hard to attack them.

            “This is Bianca’s doing,” Squee states, “I’m sure of it. She’s mad we didn’t tutor her and now she’s sending creatures after us.”

            “So, what, she’s some kind of witch or something?” Dib questions.

            “I don’t know what she is. But I know she’s behind this.”

            “Well, then, there’s only one thing to do,” Zim declares, “we have to hit Bianca before she hits us. If she wants a war, then we’ll give her one.”

            “I’m not sure a war is necessary,” Squee argues, “can’t we try to talk things out?”

            “We tried to talk things out, remember? She’s adamant,” Dib points out.

            “Well…can we at least just ask if she really sent this snake after us?” Squee suggests, “I mean I could be wrong.”

            “But you were so confident before,” Pepito says.

            Squee just shrugs.

            “Fine. We’ll ask if she sent demonic creatures after us,” Zim groans then punches his hand. “Then we’ll declare war on her sorry hide. Come on, team.”  
            “That’s great. It’s not like I need to eat or anything,” Gaz grunts as they stand up and leave the cafeteria.

            Zim marches down the hall, his team in tow. They head straight to the library and he bursts dramatically through the door. The librarian immediately shushes him. He glares at her as they walk right up to Bianca’s table. She looks at them expectantly, like she knew they were coming.

            Pepito slams the snake’s jar on the table. “Did you send this after us?” he asks.

            “I did,” Bianca replies, “along with my other three familiars: a bat, a spider, and a cat. I assume you learnt your lesson which is why you’re all here. But I only need Dib and Squee.”

            “Ha!” Pepito scoffs, “like your little pets even stood a chance against us. I think there are a few pieces of your spider left on my boot.”

            “And your bat is half dead in the gutter somewhere,” Dib concludes.

            “And I think my cat might have eaten your cat,” Squee concludes.

            “Impossible,” Bianca hisses.

            Zim guffaws loudly and is immediately shushed again by the librarian. He glares at her before looking back at Bianca.

            “If you want to hurt us, you’re going to have to do better than send a couple of little creatures after us,” he states.

            “Then I will,” she declares, “I still have plenty of tricks up my sleeve. But I’ll give you one last chance. Tutor me or else.”  
            Zim snaps. “Dib and Squee will not tutor you! They said no so they mean no!”

            The librarian shushes him.

            “Then you will bring my wrath down on your heads,” Bianca scoffs.

            “You think you stand a chance against us?” Zim barks, “you have no idea what we’re capable of!”

            “Shush,” the librarian says impatiently.

            “You shush!” Zim shouts angrily.

            “Okay, it’s time to go,” Dib declares. He grabs onto Zim and starts dragging him out of the library. Gaz, Pepito, and Squee follow close behind.

            “You want a war, you little witch?” Zim snaps as he’s pulled away. “You’ll get one! And it’ll be one you’ll lose!”

            Zim continues yelling angrily as Dib drags him out of the library, and the others soon follow. Bianca glares after them. She sighs with irritation and looks at her snake. It casually flicks its tongue at her.

            “War, huh?” she mutters as she draws her wand. “Not a bad idea.”


	57. Fanatics 36.4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everybody prepares for final exams.

Finals of the Damned Part Four

 

            Study hall at Skool is always in the library, but most everyone just usually skips. Squee and Pepito are no different. To avoid running into Bianca, they’ve decided to study somewhere else: the boiler room.

            The boiler room is supposed to be off limits to students. But the lock’s been broken for years and nobody’s bothered to fix it, so it’s become a hideout for potheads and social misfits. Pepito prefers to avoid it but Squee doesn’t mind it. And it makes for a nice, semi-quiet place for studying.

            They open the door and trot down the short metal staircase. The boiler room is small and dimly lit with the large boiler taking up nearly half of the room. The other half is occupied by the weirdos and losers of the Skool. They sit spread out on the stone floor, reading, playing games, or smoking.

            At the far end of the room is Maddie- Gaz’s friend and the singer of Pepito’s new band- casually playing her GS3. She looks up as Pepito and Squee join her.

            “Hey, guys,” she says.

            “Hey, Maddie,” Squee smiles.

            “What are you doing here?”

            “I’m tutoring Pepito for finals,” he replies as he opens his English textbook.

            “Oh, that’s nice,” she comments and goes back to her game.

            “Okay,” Squee grunts as he faces Pepito. “Today we’ll go over writing terms. I’ll say a term and you give me the definition and example. Alright?”

            “Sure,” Pepito nods.

            “Okay. Alliteration.”

            Pepito scratches his head as he attempts to remember.

            “Alliteration is the repetition of beginning syllables in a series of multiple words,” Maddie suddenly replies, “example, Pepito pauses to ponder practically.”

            Squee and Pepito stare at her with surprise. She suddenly gets incredibly sheepish and looks away. “S-sorry. I got…excited.”

            “It’s alright,” Squee replies and looks back at Pepito. “Okay. Um, what about hyperbole?’

            Before Pepito can even open his mouth, Maddie answers again.

            “Hyperbole is an extreme exaggeration. Example, Doctor Fearsome from Hospital Hell is the hardest boss to beat in any game ever.”

            They stare at her, bewildered.

            “S-sorry. I didn’t mean to do it again,” she mutters, “and Doctor Fearsome really isn’t that hard to beat if you have the right weapons.”

            Squee watches her curiously from the corner of his eye as he looks back at his book. “Okay. What is a theme?”

            “A theme is the central meaning or idea in a story around which the plots, characters, and settings are organized,” Maddie replies almost automatically. “For example, the theme of the novella ‘Rise’ is equality.”

            “Damn, Maddie, you’re really smart,” Pepito comments.

            “Oh. I-I guess,” she shrugs, “it was either get good grades or be an actually socially acceptable person. And we all know I couldn’t do that.”

            “Alright, how about this?” Squee smiles as he readjusts himself so he’s facing both of them. “Let’s make this a contest. Maybe a little competition will help Pepito a bit. Whoever answers the most questions wins.”

            “Fine. Bring it on,” Pepito smirks while Maddie just shrugs and closes her game.

            They spend the next half hour doing their studying contest. Squee would ask an English related question and Pepito and Maddie would answer. But Maddie’s the only one who would actually answer. Pepito can’t remember any of it. And the more he starts to lose, the more flustered he gets. By the time the bell rings, he’s clutching his head with his face buried in his knees.

            “Oh, man,” he moan, “there’s no way I’m gonna pass these exams.”

            “Don’t lose hope, Pepito,” Squee says, “there’s still a little over a week left.”

            He just groans uncertainly.

            Squee smiles sympathetically and takes his hand. “Come on. Let’s go home.”  
            Pepito can’t help but smile back. They stand up and wave to Maddie as they leave.

            “See you, Maddie,” Squee says.

            “See you, guys,” she replies.

            They exit the boiler room into the hallway full of students. They force their way to their lockers and drop off their stuff before heading out. They run into Zim, Dib, and Gaz along the way and they all leave together.

            “How was studying?” Dib asks.

            “Terrible,” Pepito growls, “did you know Maddie is actually really smart?”

            “Yeah. She’s practically a genius,” Gaz comments.

            They exit the Skool and start to split off as they leave the yard, but stop when they suddenly hear a loud crashing noise from behind. They turn around as people start screaming with fear and surprise.

            Zim, Dib, Gaz, Pepito, and Squee gasp with bewilderment as a humungous black garter snake slithers around the corner. And riding on its head is Bianca, laughing maniacally.

            “You want a war?” she barks, “here it is!”

            The snake swings its huge tail right at the kids. They shout with surprise and jump out of the way, just barely managing to dodge. It smashes through a bunch of trees, sending rubble flying in all directions. Bystanders shriek as they race away from the danger.

            Zim slides across the road in a crouch. He growls and glares up at Bianca as two laser guns pop out of his PAK and his spider legs are released.

            “It is on!” he snaps. His spider legs pick him up and he starts shooting at the snake.

            It hisses at him and swings its tail again. Zim’s spider legs hop harmlessly over it.

            Before the snake can retract its tail, Gaz charges with her bat and hits it right at the tip. It hisses with pain as it pulls away.

            It snarls angrily as it opens its mouth, revealing a pair of large fangs, and prepares to strike when something suddenly blows up against the side of its head. It hisses as it turns to its attacker.

            Pepito stands on the top of the Skool fence, creating black balls of energy in his hands. He throws them at the snake’s head and they explode upon impact. It shakes its head back and forth before hissing angrily.

           Squee and Dib watch a little further back. Squee is trembling with fear while Dib looks angry.

            “Dib, we gotta stop this!” Squee says.

            “Yeah. We gotta take out Bianca,” Dib states as he motions to the witch riding the snake’s head. “If we do that, the snake should stop.”

            “What? No!” Squee exclaims, “Dib, that’s not what I meant!”

            But it’s too late. He’s already running off to tell Zim his plan.

            Squee whimpers as he clutches Shmee to his chest. “No, no, no. This is bad. What am I going to do?”  
            “Either join in on the fight or find a way to stop it,” Shmee says, “but just standing here isn’t helping anyone.”

            “But how am I supposed to stop it?” he asks, “they’re all beyond reason.”

            “Are they? Or do they just not have any reason to follow?”  
            Squee considers it. He considers the entire situation. Violence can’t be the only answer for this. There’s got to be some way they can resolve everything peacefully.

            Realization hits him. “I got an idea,” he mutters and races forward, right to the fight.

            They’re still going strong. Zim and Pepito are doing some damage while Gaz and Dib wait for an opening. They’re trying to think of a way to get to Bianca. Zim and Pepito try to attack her with their ranged attacks but she dodges every one.

            The snake takes their hits pretty well. It looks pretty battered, but it hasn’t slowed down a bit since the fight began. Anybody can win this.

            Squee suddenly appears in between them. Before anyone can register what’s going, he covers his eyes and throws down one of his Startle Bombs. It goes off, the flash blinding everyone: the snake, Bianca, the kids. They all shout with pain, surprise, and anger as they grip their eyes.

            “Ah, what the hell, Squee?” Zim snaps as the flash disappears.

            “This fighting has to stop!” Squee insists, “we can resolve this some other way!”  
            “Yes,” Bianca agrees, “tutor me and this will all be resolved.”

            “No,” Squee argues, “we can’t tutor you. But what if I get someone else to tutor you? Someone who is just as good as Dib and me? Maybe better?”

            “Better than me?” Dib scoffs with disbelief.

            “Someone else?” Bianca questions, intrigued.

            “That’s right. If they agree to tutor you, then will you agree to stop all this fighting?” Squee asks.

            Bianca rubs her chin. She snaps her fingers and the snake slowly lowers his head to the ground. She hops off in front of Squee.

            “If this tutor sucks, and I fail my exams, it’ll be on your head,” she declares.

            “Fine,” Squee grunts.

            They take hands and shake agreeably.

 

            The weekend rolls around. Zim, Dib, Pepito, and Squee are in Dib’s living room. Almost a dozen open textbooks and hundreds of notes surround them on the floor as they get some serious studying done. They’ve been there all day, reading through everything and asking each other questions.

            “Jeez,” Zim groans as he throws down a sheet of paper. “I can’t believe we actually ended up helping that witch.”

            “Zim, it’s been like three days,” Dib grunts, “let it go.”

            “Yeah,” Squee agrees, “besides, when it all comes down to it, she’s just trying to pass her finals like the rest of us.”

            “Do you really think it’ll all work out though?” Pepito asks.

            “I think so,” he asks, “they’ll do a good job of tutoring her. And she better listen, or else.”

            Upstairs, in Gaz’s room, Bianca sits in the middle of the floor in front of an open history textbook. She’s staring at it blankly as Maddie, who is seated in front of her, explains the concept of a dystopian society.

             “It’s often a society characterized by human misery and- hey. Are you paying attention?” she asks.

            “What?” Bianca questions then quickly sits up. “Oh, y-yeah.”

            “You better be,” Gaz growls. She’s lying on her bed, reading through her notes. “Or I’ll hit you with my bat again.”

            “No, no, I’m listening,” Bianca insists, “it’s just…your lectures are kind of boring and I really hate answering your questions. Isn’t there some way you can tutor me without, you know, making me work?”

            Gaz sighs with irritation. She steps out of bed, grabs her bat, and marches over to Bianca.

            “Wait!” Bianca cries as she lifts it above her head.

            Downstairs, the guys hear a mild ‘thwak’ followed by a cry of pain.

            “That’s the third time in the last two hours,” Dib grunts.

            “You’d think she’d learn,” Squee sighs as he picks up a science textbook. “Anyway. Pepito, can you tell me what a nucleus is and what it does?”

            “Um the nucleus is like the brain of a cell?” he questions, “it um stores all of the cell’s information and controls the cell’s growth…?”

            “That’s right,” Squee smiles, “okay, what’s a chloroplast?”

            “Um that’s in plant cells and it like does all of the photosynthesis,” he replies.

            “Exactly,” he beams, “you’ve gotten much better, Pepito.”

            “Eh, his answers are a little choppy,” Dib grunts.

            “Don’t listen to him,” he scoffs, “I’m proud of you.”

            Pepito beams happily.

            “Yeah. We got those exams in the bag,” Zim nods affirmatively.

           

            Finally it’s exam week. Four to five days of nonstop final exams which equals to exhausted, irritated, and stressed out students all across the city.

            The Battalion is no different. They worry about the exam they just did, and they worry about the exam coming up. Even the confident Dib can’t help but be a little freaked out.

            But it soon comes to a grateful end. And on the final day of classes, the students receive their marks in a closed envelope. Some open them right in class, but Zim, Dib, Pepito, and Squee decide to wait until they’re outside.

            They stop at their lockers to grab the rest of their stuff and leave the Skool for the last time until fall. But as they exit the front doors, they are suddenly confronted by Bianca. They glare at her suspiciously.

            She suddenly pulls a piece of paper out of her pocket and shows it to them. It’s her exam grades. She averages at about seventy-five percent for each exam.

            “I passed,” she states, “Maddie was a good tutor. Thank you for helping me. And I’m…s-sorry for all the trouble I caused.”  
            Squee smiles. “It’s fine.”

            She nods respectfully before turning and racing away. They watch her leave before leaving too. They stop outside the Skool yard, on the sidewalk, and look at each other.

            “You guys ready?” Dib asks.

            They nod and slowly open their envelopes.

            “I got one hundred percent,” Dib states proudly.

            “Yeah, me too,” Squee smiles.

            They chuckle as Dib pats his back in a congratulatory manner.

            “Show offs,” Zim grunts.

            “What’d you get?” Dib asks.

            “Seventy,” he replies.

            “Good job,” Squee comments and faces Pepito. “What about you?”

            He doesn’t answer. He hasn’t even pulled the sheet all the way out yet. He’s just kind of holding the top of it, frozen with fear.

            “Pepito?” Squee questions.

            “I really don’t wanna fail,” he mutters.

            “Don’t be a coward,” Zim scoffs, “I told you, we got these exams in the bag.”  
            Pepito glances at them before taking a deep breath and pulling out the sheet. He forces himself to look at it.

            All down the paper, next to each exam, is a small but beautiful number: 70%.

            “I passed,” he breathes before breaking into a huge smile. “I passed! I passed! Woohoo!”

            He runs around in circles, arms high in celebration, as he cheers loudly and excitedly, constantly repeating ‘I passed, I passed!’ Squee and Dib watch him happily.

            “See, what’d I say?” Zim grunts, “Zim is always right.”

            “Squee!” Pepito exclaims as he suddenly glomps him. He picks him up, swings him around, and gives him a big kiss on the cheek.

            “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” he squeals happily.

            “Y-you’re welcome, Pepito,” Squee beams.

            “I’m guessing by your ridiculous behaviour that you all passed,” Gaz grunts as she walks up to them. “Well, so did I.” She shows off her marks of ninety or higher.

            “Nice job, Gaz,” Dib smiles.

            “Alright, everyone calm down,” Zim demands, “now that we’re all here, we’re going to my place. That’s an order.”

            Pepito puts Squee down as Zim starts marching off. They all look at each other curiously before following him.

            Zim doesn’t say a word as they head to his house. He’s obviously hiding something, but none of them ask about it. He’d just get mad if they did.

            They make it to his house rather quick but he stops just as they reach the door.

            “Wait here,” he orders and rushes inside.

            They look at each other with confusion.

            The door suddenly opens but Zim is not standing in the doorway and the living room is completely dark. They enter cautiously, not sure what to expect.

            The door slams close and Gir suddenly appears out of nowhere. Everybody jumps as he latches onto Dib’s head, blowing a party horn.

            “Surprise!” he cheers.

            “Surprise?” Pepito questions.

            “Yeah, surprise!” Skoodge exclaims as he and Minimoose appear. They’re both wearing party hats.

            Zim is standing in the kitchen next to the table. He’s out of his wig and contacts and is also wearing a party hat while looking incredibly uncomfortable. Sitting on the table is a mysterious white box.

            “Zim, what’s going on?” Dib asks as they approach him.

            “It-it’s a ‘get-together’,” he replies, “as a kind of r-reward.”

            “Reward for what?” Squee asks.

            “You’ve all been working really hard lately and I just-I just thought you d-deserved,” he stammers as he practically forces the words out. “Oh, forget it!” he snaps and throws open the box.

            Inside is a simple cake with chocolate icing and little white spirals along the edge. And written on it in pink lettering is ‘Good job, team.’

            Dib, Gaz, Pepito, and Squee stare at it, speechless for a second. Then Pepito breaks out into a long ‘aaaawww’ and rushes over to Zim with open arms.

            “N-no, no, no hugging!” Zim snaps as he scuttles away. Dib suddenly appears behind him and hugs him tight. Zim sighs and just lets it happen.

            “This is really sweet, Zim,” Squee smiles as he tastes the icing. “The cake and the gesture.”

            “Yeah,” Gaz nods, “it must’ve been really hard for you.”  
          “It was,” Zim grunts, “now eat your Earth dessert before this whole situation makes me sick.”

            “Woo!” Gir cheers.

            Everyone sits at the table and digs into the cake. They don’t even bother cutting it; they just tear into it with forks or even hands. They all have a great time, talking, laughing, eating. It’s an all-around great get-together.

            And so ends their year of Skool, and their first year as the Battalion.


	58. Fanatics Summer Fun Part 1.1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's summer vacation and the Battalion get mixed up in their own problems and adventures. To start off, Zim, Dib, and Gaz investigate the recent rash of earthquakes.

Summer Fun Part 1.1

 

            The sky is an endless blue with no clouds. A warm breeze wafts through the air. Children’s laughter and multiple ice cream truck chimes can be heard in the distance. It’s a beautiful summer day.

            Dib and Gaz stride down the sidewalk. They’re both eating popsicles as they watch the little birds fly around.

            They reach their destination and head up the front walk, past the gnome guards. They don’t even bother knocking and just burst through the front door like they own the place.

            “Zim!” Dib calls.

            “About time you guys got here,” Zim grunts as he gets up from the couch.

            “We stopped at an ice cream truck,” he says as he offers his popsicle. “Want a lick?”  
            “And burn my tongue off? No way!” he scoffs.

            “Is Pepito coming?” Dib asks as they walk into the kitchen.

            “He said no. He wants to practice with his band today,” Zim groans with annoyance. “But maybe it’s for the best. He’s been so whiny since Squee left on his trip.”  
            “Pepito is super clingy,” Gaz comments, “I don’t know how Squee puts up with him.”

            “So what’s this meeting about?” Dib asks as they sit at the table.

            “These infernal earthquakes!” Zim exclaims, slamming his fist on the tabletop for emphasis.

            “Are you serious?” Gaz grunts.

            “Zim, there’s nothing we can do about earthquakes,” Dib points out, “they’re natural occurrences.”

            “Ah, but that’s just it!” Zim booms, “I don’t believe these recent quakes are natural.”

            “Why’s that?” Gaz asks with mild interest.

            “Come with me to my lab, and I’ll show you,” he orders as he jumps to his feet and marches to the stairs. Dib and Gaz sigh and follow him.

            They step into the elevator on the second floor and ride it down to Zim’s underground secret base. The doors slide open and they exit into his large lab. They walk up to his giant main computer and he starts typing on the keyboard.

            “Two days ago we experienced a small earthquake,” he explains, “during, my computer picked up a strange signal. I didn’t think much of it at the time until during the most recent earthquake when my computer picked up another signal. They aren’t exactly the same but they have distinct similarities.”

            “What sort of signals were they? Like communication signals?” Dib asks.

            “That’s what they sound like,” Zim replies, “the sound is really garbled and there’s a lot of static but I think there is a voice amidst it. Here, listen.”

            Zim starts playing something over the computer. It mostly sounds like a lot of loud static but every so often something akin to a voice can be heard if they listen very carefully.

            “Oh, come on,” Gaz scoffs, “how do you know your computer didn’t just pick up a radio station or something?”

            “My computer wouldn’t pick up such a weak signal on accident,” Zim snaps, “this is something else. If I could just hear it once more live, then I might be able to track its location.”

            “That’s why you called us here,” Dib states.

            “Yes. This could be something big and I wanna be ready for it,” he growls, “before the next earthquake we’re gonna be ready to track the location of the signal and then we’ll head straight over to it.”

            “But Squee and Pepito aren’t here. We’re gonna do this without them?” Dib questions.

            “We don’t have a choice,” Zim grunts, “Squee’s gone and Pepito’s off doing his own thing and we can’t wait for them.”  
            “How do you know we’re gonna get another earthquake?” Gaz asks, “what if they’re all done? Then what?”

            “Then I’ll think of something else,” he replies, “but we will figure out what that signal is.”

            Dib and Gaz both sigh. There’s no point in arguing with him. He’s stubborn and determined. They might as well go along for the ride.

            So they sit on the metal floor and wait patiently for another earthquake.

            Fortunately they don’t have to wait long. The shaking starts without warning when Gaz is playing her GS3, Dib is reading a book, and Zim is staring firmly at his computer screen. Dib immediately drops his book and grips the floor worriedly.

            “Hey, is it safe to be down here?” he asks as he stares fearfully at the ceiling.

            “Yeah, it’s fine,” Zim grunts, “now keep it down. I’m waiting for the signal.”

            Gaz just rolls her eyes and goes back to her game.

            “This one feels stronger than the last few,” Dib comments.

            “Shush, shush, shush!” Zim orders frantically. Static starts coming through the computer’s speakers. Zim immediately starts typing on his keyboard.

            The static doesn’t seem as bad as the ones before. And the longer the earthquake goes on for, the clearer the signal seems to get until the voice is obvious.          

            Dib and Gaz carefully sit up on their knees as an odd voice speckled with loud static plays over the computer. It sounds like gibberish and is almost unintelligible.          

            “That’s definitely not English or any language I’m familiar with,” Dib says.

            “Interesting,” Zim muses.

            The signal dies out as the earthquake slows down and stops. Zim, Dib, and Gaz glance at each other as they stand up.

            “Well, I guess it’s not a radio signal,” Gaz grunts.

            “Computer, identify the language that was spoken,” Zim orders.

            “Language cannot be identified,” the Computer replies, “signal too unclear.”

            Zim scoffs angrily. “Fine. Whatever. I managed to trace the signal. Transfer the information to my phone.”  
            “Where is it coming from?” Dib asks.

            “A little ways outside the city,” Zim replies, “this signal was the strongest one I’ve heard yet. We have to go check it out.”

            “Alright,” Dib nods, “I’m curious about this too. That language sounded almost alien. Let’s grab the car from my place and head on over.”

            “Great. Summer’s just started and we’re already getting wrapped up in this nonsense,” Gaz groans as they head to the elevator.

            The kids hurry to the Membrane house to pick up the car. Along the way, Zim taps on his phone a couple times and holds it up to the side of his head.

            “What are you doing?” Dib asks.

            “Calling Pepito one last time, to see if he wants in on this,” Zim replies. After a few seconds, he lowers his phone and stares at it with confusion. “That’s weird. The call won’t go through.”

            “He’s probably talking to Squee right now,” Gaz grunts.

            “No. It said he has no service,” Zim clarifies.

            “I’m sure it’s nothing,” Dib says reassuringly, “there are lots of places in the city that don’t have good reception.”  
            “Mm,” Zim grunts plainly as he puts his phone away.

            They finally arrive and clamber into the car. They quickly drive away, Dib following Zim’s directions.

            They leave the city and drive down the highway for a few minutes until Zim yells at Dib to stop.

            They pull over and get out. They’re not anywhere interesting. The city can barely be seen in the distance but other than that there doesn’t appear to be anyone around.

          “We’re close,” Zim states as he looks at his phone and points to the nearby bush. “This way.”

            They step over the little fence and trek through the trees. Zim stares intently at his phone as he leads the way. Dib and Gaz look around curiously but don’t see much, just a lot of trees.

            The trees seem to thin out up ahead. But as they start to near it, another earthquake starts. It takes the kids completely by surprise and they shout with surprise as they topple over.

            “Hang on!” Dib shouts.

            “Hey, wait! Do you hear that?” Zim asks.

            Amongst the shaking and rattling, a loud, metallic noise can be heard. It almost sounds like a drill but bigger and louder.

            “What is that?” Gaz asks as she covers her eyes.

            “Watch out!” Dib cries as a tree snaps and collapses towards them. Zim reacts quickly, releasing his spider legs and catching the tree with ease.

            The noise finally stops and the earthquake soon follows. The kids look at each other curiously and stand up, Zim tossing the tree to the side.

            They continue down their original path and step out into a large clearing. The sight before them causes them to gasp with surprise and horror.

            The field has been completely torn apart. There are five ginormous holes in the ground. They’re nearly wider than a bus.

            They cautiously creep up to the nearest hole. It’s so deep they can’t even see the bottom.

            “What did this?” Dib mutters.

            “Look!” Gaz exclaims as she points down the field.

            On the other side of the clearing is a large machine. It’s made of some kind of metal with a dome of glass and a large satellite on top and a giant drill on the bottom. An odd looking silhouette can be seen behind the glass.

             “That thing is the cause of the earthquakes,” Zim snarls, “it’s been drilling into the ground and making the city shake! But what’s been causing those signals?”

            “It must be because of that satellite,” Dib suggests.

            “What’s inside it?” Gaz asks.

            The machine suddenly starts changing. The drill starts to sink inside of it as two large rockets come out in its place.

            “It’s a ship!” Zim exclaims.

            “Cool,” Dib breathes.

            It starts shaking as steam spews from the rockets.

            “It’s going to take off!” Zim shouts and rushes forward. “Come on!”

            “What?” Dib and Gaz exclaim as they chase after him.

            “We’re hitching a ride!” he states.

            “Are you crazy?” Gaz barks.

            Zim doesn’t reply. He grabs Gaz and Dib by the back of their clothes and pulls them off their feet as his spider legs pick them up. The siblings shout with surprise as they’re carried across the field with incredible speed until they reach the ship.

            The two front legs lift up and press against the side of the hull. The other two follow suit as a pink force field spreads out from Zim’s PAK, following the spider legs and pressing flush up against the ship, surrounding the kids in a small dome.

            Zim sets Dib and Gaz harmlessly on the force field. They stare at it with awe. It doesn’t even feel unstable.

            Three gumball-looking things pop out of Zim’s PAK. He keeps one and hands the other two to Dib and Gaz.

            “These’ll help you breathe,” he explains, “just press them against your face.”

            “I remember these,” Dib says, “Kio had them.”

            “Yeah, she gave me a bunch,” Zim grunts.

            They all press the gumballs to their faces. They suddenly spread out around their heads in a thin, transparent layer, fitting to their forms. But it doesn’t feel like they’re wearing anything.

             The ship starts shaking even more as flames explode from the rockets, then everything settles down as they take off.

            “Alright, hang on,” Zim orders as he presses his hands against the ship. “It’s going to get really bumpy when we enter the atmosphere.”

            “This is insane,” Gaz laments as she watches the ground get smaller and smaller.

            “Hang on!” Zim says again as they fly past the clouds and through the sky.

            The ship enters the atmosphere and everything starts shaking violently. Zim struggles to keep his spider legs still so as not to disturb the shield. Dib and Gaz struggle to not get motion sickness.

            The shaking seems to last forever until finally the ship breaks through and they officially leave the planet.

            Dib stares through the force field with awe as they enter space. Zim and Gaz are much less impressed.

            Dib’s amazement is quickly replaced with concern. “Zim, this isn’t safe. We have no idea where this ship is going. And you’re not even allowed off planet. Remember your deal with the Tallest?”

            “Yeah, yeah. I remember,” Zim groans, “if I leave Earth, the Irken Armada has full freedom to destroy it and me. But they’ll never know I left.”

            “How do you know?” Dib asks.

            “Because we’re not going very far,” he replies and points off into the distance. “Look.”

            The little ship is flying towards an even bigger ship, about five times its size. It’s made completely of some kind of silver metal and it incredibly long and wide.

            “Prepare yourselves,” Zim warns, “we have no idea what sort of aliens are on this thing.”

            “No turning back now,” Gaz grunts as she draws her bat.

            Dib smiles excitedly and rubs his hands together.

            A large door opens up on the side of the giant ship. The little ship flies through it and lands in a docking station. The kids watch as the door lowers shut, sealing them inside the mysterious, alien ship.  


	59. Fanatics Summer Fun Part 1.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zim, Dib, and Gaz meet some interesting aliens.

Summer Fun Part 1.2

 

            Zim retracts his spider legs and he, Dib, and Gaz drop quietly to the floor. They remain perfectly still as the hatch on the ship opens up and a tall, lanky figure emerges.

            It’s definitely an alien. It’s at least seven feet tall and extremely thin. It stands on an uncountable amount of swishing tentacles and has two long tentacles for arms as well. It seems to have two eyes hidden behind a pair of round goggles and instead of a mouth it has a row of short tendrils above its chin. Its skin is dark yellow with bright yellow spots and it’s wearing a sort of black onesie with a utility belt that holds all kinds of odd tools.

            It doesn’t notice the kids hiding behind its ship. Its tentacles make gross sloshing noises as it carries itself down the side of the ship, parallel to the floor. It steps off the shuttle and marches through the room.

            Zim, Dib, and Gaz peek around the ship and stare after at it, wide-eyed.

            “What sort of alien is that?” Dib asks quietly.

            “I don’t know,” Zim replies, “I’ve never seen that species before.”

            They watch as it reaches the far end of the room. A door opens, sliding up into the wall, and it exits through it. Once the door closes again, the kids move. They hurry quietly through the dimly lit room and slow down cautiously as they reach the wall.

            The door suddenly opens. They all flinch and duck behind the wall. The door remains open without any suspicious movement. They cautiously peek through it.  

            It leads to a large, brightly lit hallway. There’s no sign of any life. They leave the room and tiptoe down the hall. The door doesn’t slide shut until they’re a few feet away. They look back at it with surprise before glancing at each other and continuing down the corridor.

            The interior appears to be made of the same kind of silver metal as the exterior. The lighting is coming from yellow bulb-looking things stuck to the ceiling, similar to Earth’s fluorescent lights. There are no doorways or windows along the walls, which makes things a little less nerve wracking but also not really since it doesn’t give the kids any cover for hiding.

            They eventually reach an intersection; they can either continue straight or right. They stop and look around curiously as they try to figure out which way to go.

            Zim’s antennae perk straight up as he picks up on some noises coming from the right hallway. He motions quietly to Dib and Gaz to go that way. They nod and follow his lead.

            It isn’t long before Dib and Gaz start to hear what Zim’s hearing: a whirring sound, like a computer, a couple of beeps and boops, and odd gurgling noises.

            They notice a large doorway up ahead. They jog up to it and cautiously peek through.

            It leads to a giant, round room. Surrounding the middle of the room in a semicircle is a long control panel with flashing lights and lots of buttons. At the front of the room is a large, black screen. And in the middle of the room is a rounded pyramid looking device displaying a holographic projection of the Earth.

            Standing around the projection are two tentacle aliens, the one from before and a similar one with green skin and a white onesie with three orange stripes. They appear to be talking. They communicate with wet slurping and gurgling noises, their mouth tendrils wiggling wildly.

            “What are they saying?” Gaz asks.

            “No idea,” Dib replies, “but it sounds like the same noises we heard in that radio signal. We need a plan. We have to be smart about this. We have no idea who we’re dealing with right now. Maybe if we listen long enough, we’ll be able to understand them through context. What do you think, Zim-?” he starts to ask but stops when he sees Zim is missing. “Z-Zim? Zim? Zim!” he squeals as he watches Zim march into the room.

          He plants his foot on the control panels and points dramatically at the aliens. “Hey! You two!”

            They make surprised and angry gurgles at him.      

            “I don’t know what you’re doing to the Earth and I don’t care!” he snaps, “this is my planet! And I won’t allow any alien race to damage it for any reason! Got that?”

            The aliens cock their heads curiously then gurgle at each other.

            “Uh…” Zim mutters questionably as he lowers his arms.

            “I don’t think they understand you,” Dib says as he and Gaz join him.

            “Right…” he grunts and scratches his head. He suddenly gets an idea. His PAK opens up and a short metal tentacle slithers out and hands him something. It looks like a little, round, pink speaker with small buttons along the bottom.

            Zim hops over the control panel and walks up to the aliens. He angrily waves away the Earth hologram and plants the speaker in its place. He hits a button.

            “This is a universal translator,” he states.

            “Hey, I understood that,” the yellow alien says with surprise, his voice ringing through the speaker.

            “Of course. As long as we talk around it, we’ll be able to understand each other,” Zim nods, “now then, where was I? Oh yes.”

            He clears his throat and points dramatically at the aliens. “Earth is my planet! And I will not allow you to defile it for any reason! Prepare for destruction!”

            They gasp with surprise.

            “Okay, Zim, let’s not be hasty,” Dib says quickly as he scurries up to him.

            “What do you mean? I thought you’d be all for destroying a group of aliens that are drilling into the Earth,” Zim says.

            Dib quickly turns Zim away from the translator to talk in private. “Okay, yeah, maybe before. But I’ve been trying to take a more diplomatic approach with the supernatural, like Squee.”

            “Dib, you’re gonna mess with the dynamic of the team,” Zim groans, “Squee is the pacifist. The rest of us round it out by being violent and uncontrollable.”

            “But that’s only one pacifist. How is that rounded?”

            “Cause pacifism is dumb.”  
            “Zim,” Dib sighs, “look, they might be in trouble. Let’s just talk to them.”

            “I’m more for the ‘attack first, question later’ approach,” Zim states.

            Dib just rolls his eyes and turns back to the translator. “Hello,” he waves happily, “my name is Dib, this is Zim, and that’s Gaz. We live on Earth.”

            “Oh. Greetings,” the green alien waves back, wiggling his tentacle. “I am known as Gle’lep and this Smugmar. We are from the planet Plitlet.”

            “It is an honour to meet you both,” Dib smiles, “uh forgive us for boarding your ship without permission. We were just wondering why you were drilling holes into our planet.”

            “Oh, well that’s simple,” Gle’lep replies and wiggles his tentacle at Smugmar. He removes a round object from his belt while Gle’lep explains. “You see, drilling into a planet a couple times allows us to access information on the planet. We learn about its inhabitants, its age, its resources, and many, many others things. We then store the information on this device here,” he shows them the round object, “to be reviewed later on the main ship, which is what we were just doing.”  
            “Oh, so you were just researching?” Dib questions, “that’s not so bad.”

            “Hang on, Dib,” Zim orders as he glares suspiciously at the aliens. “What do you do with that information?”

            “Oh, well you see after we review the information we relay it back to our leaders and they determine whether or not the planet may be a threat to us, presently or otherwise,” Gle’lep explains, “if it isn’t, we leave it alone and continue to the next planet.”

            “And if it is?”

            “We destroy it on sight.”

            “I knew it!” Zim exclaims. His laser guns pop out of his PAK and he points them at the aliens.

            Smugmar squeaks and ducks out of the way but Gle’lep just sighs, “relax. Our leaders haven’t gotten back to us with their decision yet. According to the information we picked up, your planet’s inhabitants seem rather simple and ignorant. Honestly you seem like a bigger danger to yourselves than to others, no offense.”

            “No, you’re pretty on the mark there,” Gaz shrugs.

            “This planet could be ruled as harmless, in which case there’d be no need for any violence,” he concludes.

            Zim grunts uncertainly but keeps his guns up.

            The pyramid pedestal starts beeping. “Oh, that should them,” Gle’lep says as he taps it. A holographic screens pops up with strange lettering on it. He and Smugmar read it closely.

            “Oh,” Gle’lep says with surprise. “It would seem our esteemed leaders spotted something in the planet’s information that we missed. They fear it will rise to power in the future and therefore be a threat to us. I’m afraid we must destroy it.”

            Before the kids can even process what he just said, Gle’lep swipes his tentacle across the pedestal. The large screen suddenly turns on, displaying the Earth in full view. A target appears and beeps a couple times as it locks onto the planet.

            “Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Zim exclaims and points his guns at him. “Don’t move or I’ll fire!” Gle’lep freezes immediately and glares at him with annoyance.

            “Please don’t get in the way of our work,” he growls.

            “Seeing as how your work is to destroy my planet, I’m afraid I have no choice,” Zim retorts.

            “This isn’t a fight you’ll win.”  
            “If I had a nickel for every defeated enemy I’ve heard that from.”

            “What’s a nickel?” Smugmar asks.

            “Smugmar! Prepare for battle!” Gle’lep barks.

            Smugmar immediately grabs two poles from his belt, one in each tentacle. He whips them down and two long, metal prongs shoot out. Bolts of electricity visibly travel between the prongs.

            “Still wanna be diplomatic, Dib?” Zim asks.

            “Diplomats have to fight too,” Dib growls as he pulls on his Shock Therapy Glove.

            “Good,” Zim grunts as his spider legs spring out of his PAK. “Then let’s take out these slimy worms.”


	60. Fanatics Summer Fun Part 1.3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zim, Dib, and Gaz fight to save the Earth.

Summer Fun Part 1.3

 

            Smugmar jabs his electrified prong at Zim. He sidesteps it and swings his spider legs at him. Smugmar easily dodges by bending his incredibly flexible body out of the way of each leg.

            Zim snarls and starts firing his lasers. Smugmar scurries away with amazing speed but Zim keeps on his him, firing constantly.

            Smugmar scoffs and whips one of his prods right at Zim. It flies across the room with such speed, Zim won’t be able to dodge it unscathed.

            Dib suddenly catches it, the electricity nullified by his gloved hand. He glares at Smugmar and flings it back at him. Smugmar barely manages to bend out of the way and the prod smashes into the wall.

            Smugmar starts to turn to glare at him but freezes when he sees Dib is suddenly right in front of him. He swings at him but Smugmar easily curves out of the way without even moving the rest of his body. He dodges all of Dib’s futile attacks this way, like he’s not even trying.

            “Sit still!” Dib snaps.

            Smugmar scoffs and jabs at him with his prod. Dib grabs it with his gloved hand and swings at him with his other. Smugmar catches it with his free tentacle and they hold each other like that, both growling angrily.

            “Hold him tight, Dib!” Zim orders as he charges forward. His spider legs rear up, ready to strike.

            Smugmar gasps. With amazing strength he picks Dib off his feet and throws him at Zim. His spider legs instinctively stop as Dib comes into range and smacks into him. They fall to the floor in a heap.

            Meanwhile, Gaz has formulated a much more efficient plan. She completely ignores the boys and the Plitletians and focuses on the pedestal. She leaps at it, bat held high, preparing to shatter it with one fatal blow.

            Before she can reach it, something smashes into her and pins her to the far wall. It’s Gle’lep’s tentacle. They glare at each other.

            “Keep your stubby appendages away from my equipment,” he growls.

             “Keep your disgusting tentacles away from my planet,” Gaz retorts. She reaches into her boot and whips out a butterfly knife. She flips it open and stabs Gle’lep’s tentacle. He screams in pain as he lets her go, retracting his bleeding limb.

            Gaz hits the ground running. She charges the pedestal, bat at the ready. Gle’lep growls as he holds his injured arm and glares at her. His bottom tentacles lash out at her. She has no hope of dodging. They slam into her and wrap around each of her limbs. Gle’lep holds her high and spread out like a star. She struggles to free herself but he has an iron grip.

            “Let me go,” she snarls.

            “Gaz!” Dib exclaims. He jumps off Zim and races towards Gle’lep.

            Gle’lep half glances at him before swinging his uninjured arm at him. Dib lifts his arms to block his face as it smacks right into him and sends him flying. He slams into the pedestal and groans as he rubs his head. He looks at the device and an idea suddenly strikes.

            Dib jumps to his feet, actives his Shock Therapy Glove, and plants his palm in the middle of the pedestal.

            The electricity seems to travel through the whole ship. The large screen gets overrun with static. The control panels start sparking and short circuiting. Within seconds everything shuts off and they plummet into pitch darkness.

            Gle’lep and Smugmar gasp with surprise. Gle’lep drops Gaz as they both rush forward and attempt to restart everything.

            “Ha ha!” Dib laughs triumphantly, “let this be a lesson that if you mess with my planet, you’re going to have to deal with me.”

            A bright red light suddenly turns on and an alarm starts going off. An electronic voice comes on and is translated through Zim’s speaker.

“Emergency mode activated. Ship self-destruct in thirty seconds.”  
Everybody stares blankly at the ceiling.

“Oh, way to go,” Gaz grunts sarcastically.

            “Smugmar, to the hangar!” Gle’lep orders before rushing off, Smugmar close behind.

            “Dib, Gaz, to the hangar!” Zim snaps before chasing after them, grabbing his speaker along the way. Dib and Gaz follow close behind.

            They all race through the red-lit halls in a panicked cluster, the alarm blaring loudly as the self-destruct counts down.

            “What kind of emergency mode has the ship self-destruct?” Zim barks.

            “We have a lot of vital information in the memory of this ship,” Gle’lep snaps, “we can’t risk it falling into the wrong tentacles. We’d rather it be destroyed.”

            “It’s ‘hands’! ‘Wrong hands’!”

            “If you think we’re gonna help you, you’re sorely mistaken!”

            “We don’t need your help! There’s more than one ship in that hangar and I can easily operate your primitive technology!”

             “Our technology is the best in our galaxy!”

            “Would you two shut up!” Dib barks, “we don’t have time for this! We’re all gonna blow up in less than twenty seconds!”

            The door to the hangar slides open and they burst through. The two groups split up as they head to different ships. Gle’lep and Smugmar slither up their ship with ease while Zim, Dib, and Gaz clamber up theirs. The hatches open up and they fall inside and start turning everything on. The hangar door starts to open as the ships activate.

            “This isn’t over!” Gle’lep shouts, “we’ll be back! This planet is condemned and nothing will stop us from destroying!”

            “We will!” Zim retorts, “we’re the Battalion and we’ll always protect our planet!”  
            The hatches close, sealing the groups inside their ships. They immediately take off and fly through the hangar door. The Plitletians fly off into space while the Battalion head straight to Earth. The main ship blows up seconds later.

            “Whoa!” Dib exclaims as he watches the explosion.

            “All according to plan,” Zim sighs contently.

            “That was not the plan,” Gaz scoffs.

            “Silence!”

            They approach Earth and the ship begins vibrating.

            “Okay, hang on, guys,” Zim orders as they enter the atmosphere. Dib and Gaz grip the walls as the ship starts shaking violently. Things start getting pretty warm as the friction causes the outside walls to light up in flames.

            They finally break through the atmosphere and plummet to the ground. Zim pulls up on the yoke as he attempts to slow down but it’s no use. Their speed can’t be broken.

            “We’re going in hot!” he warns, “brace yourselves!”  
            The kids scream and squeeze their eyes shut, holding on tight as they hurtle to the earth. They hit the ground hard, right in the middle of the city, creating a large crater in the road.

            The hatch opens and they tumble out, groaning with pain and exhaustion. Zim looks up and the first thing he sees is Pepito’s face as he crawls out of a hole in the ground just a few feet away. He looks exhausted and is absolutely covered in filth.

            They stare at each other with surprise before simultaneously exclaiming, “what happened to you?”


	61. Fanatics Summer Fun Part 2.1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Squee gives Pepito an important job while he goes on a trip. But that turns out to be the least of his worries.

Summer Fun Part 2.1

 

            “What?” Pepito exclaims horrifically, “why me?”

            “Well, ordinarily I’d get Devi or Tenna to do it but they’re the whole reason we’re leaving in the first place,” Squee explains, “and Colton can’t do it because she wouldn’t like being with his family. You’re my best choice. Please, Pepito.”

            Pepito groans as Squee stares at him with big, beautiful brown eyes. He glances a little to the right where Johnny is standing, holding Nugget in his arms. They’re both staring at him with the same condescending glare, like they’re thinking “we all know who’s gonna win this argument. Why are you even trying?”

          Pepito sighs and steps out of the doorway, inviting them in. “Alright. I’ll take care of Nugget.”

            “Thank you, Pepito,” Squee chimes as they walk in. They hurry to the kitchen where Squee and Johnny drop off all the supplies: a litterbox, a small bag of kitty litter, a small bag of cat food, and two dishes, one of for food one for water.

            “She’s really not difficult to look after,” Squee explains, “just clean up after her and make sure her food and water are full. You can let her outside once in a while but just make sure she’s back before dark. Also these recent earthquakes really freak her out so be careful she doesn’t latch onto your face or something. She did it to Johnny. And if she does something bad, don’t be afraid to swat her on the nose.”

            “Yeah, she needs to be disciplined,” Johnny adds, “so don’t be a pussy. Heh, pussy, get it? Cause she’s a cat.”  
            Squee just gives him the most unamused look. Then he looks at Nugget and scratches her behind the ear.

            “I’ll miss you. You be good to Pepito, okay?” he coos, “be a good girl. We’ll see you soon.”

            He walks off to Pepito. Johnny stares after him a second, double checking to make sure he’s not listening. Then he lifts Nugget up to his face and whispers, “rip him to shreds.”

            “Johnny, go wait outside,” Squee orders hastily.

            He rests Nugget on the floor, pats her head, and heads outside. Squee waits until the door is closed before facing Pepito.

            “Man, I can’t believe you’re gonna be gone a whole week,” Pepito whines.

            “It’s not even a whole week, it’s five days,” Squee points out.

            “Why are you even going? Isn’t this Devi’s thing?” he asks.

            “We’re going as moral support,” he replies, “and also because she got three free tickets. How could we possibly say no to a free art show?”

            Pepito pouts overdramatically. Squee smiles sympathetically.

            “Come on, it won’t be so bad,” he insists, “I promise I’ll text you as soon as we reach Los Angeles and call you every night.”

            Pepito smiles and nods, “okay.”

            Squee smiles back. They take hands and give each other a quick kiss, beaming lovingly.

            Then there’s a loud banging on the door.

            “Squee, let’s go!” Johnny orders, “if we’re late, Devi will never shut up about it on the trip.”

            Squee sighs and gives Pepito’s hands one last squeeze before leaving. They wave goodbye to each other as Squee closes the door.

            Pepito groans and looks at Nugget. She’s sitting in the middle of the floor, staring at him with her big, unnerving eyes. He groans again as he falls onto the couch.

 

            Pepito trots down the steps to the first floor, straightening his guitar on his back. He stops by the living room as he fixes his beanie and arm warmers.        

            “Mom, I’m going out fo- what are you doing?” he groans.

            “Nothing,” his mom replies. She’s sitting on the couch stroking Nugget’s back.

            “You’re petting it again,” he groans.

            “Nugget is not an ‘it’. She’s a pretty, little girl. Aren’t you?” she coos as she scratches Nugget’s chin.

            “Mom, how many times do I have to tell you, that thing is the embodiment of evil,” Pepito insists, “she’s already scratched me like seven times and knocked over my guitar nine times and she’s only been here one night.”

            “It’s not her fault. She’s still getting used to us,” Rose argues.

            “She seems pretty used to you,” Pepito comments drily. He glares at Nugget and she just stares back at him. But he knows that if she were physically capable of it, she’d be smirking.

            “Oh, by the way, have you heard from Squee yet?” Rose asks.

            “No,” Pepito sighs miserably, “and none of my calls are going through either.”

            “Oh, dear, I hope nothing bad happened.”

            Pepito just groans before shaking all the bad thoughts out of his head and turning to the door. “Anyway, I’m going to band practice. I should be back sometime this evening.”

            “Okay, have fun,” Rose chimes as he leaves.

            Pepito sighs and leans against the door. He takes out his phone and tries calling Squee for the umpteenth time. And just like always, that annoying robot lady answers telling him ‘the number you dialed cannot be reached’.

            He snarls with anger and shoves his phone back in his pocket before sighing again. He tries to hide it from his mom but he’s actually really worried. Squee promised he would text as soon as he reached L.A, but there hasn’t been a peep from him since he left yesterday.

            He hasn’t told Zim, Dib, and Gaz yet. He doesn’t want to worry them until he’s absolutely sure there’s a problem.

            He takes a deep breath, steeling his nerves, and takes off. Squee may be a magnet for trouble, but he can handle himself. Right now, Pepito should focus on himself and his band.

            He heads to Carmen’s place. They almost always have band practice there since Carmen doesn’t have to try and move her drum set.

            About halfway there, Pepito’s phone chimes. He excitedly and frantically rips it from his pocket and checks the text. His mood drops when he sees its just from Zim.

            ‘Team meeting now.’

            Pepito sends a quick reply: ‘sorry, can’t. Already promised the guys I’d do band practice.’

            ‘You need to get your priorities in line.’

            Pepito rolls his eyes and pockets his phone as he reaches Carmen’s apartment building. He buzzes her room and the door opens almost immediately.

            He heads up to her place and knocks on the door. She lets him in and they address each other with a curt but friendly, “hey.”

            “Colton and Maddie are already here,” she says as they head up to her room.

            She opens the door and they walk in. Colton and Maddie are sitting on the bed. Colton’s tuning his bass while Maddie sets up her keyboard and microphone stand.

            “Hey, Pepito,” Colton grunts. Maddie just nods politely.

            “Hey, guys,” Pepito replies as he takes his guitar off his back and sits beside them.

            Carmen sits on her stool and twirls her drum sticks around. “So what are we working on today?”

            “I was thinking we’d just play a couple covers,” Pepito replies, “we’re still having trouble finding our sound.”

            “We’d be better if Maddie didn’t insist on having her piano accompany her every time she sang,” Colton growls.

            “I just feel more confident playing my piano,” Maddie mutters.

            “It’s fine. We can work with it,” Pepito insists.

            “By the way, Pepito, have you heard from Squee?” Colton asks.

            “Ugh,” Pepito groans loudly as he lies down on the bed. “Why does everyone keep asking me? If I heard anything, don’t you think I would say so?”           

            “Oof, snippy,” he comments.

            “His phone is probably just dead or something,” Maddie says reassuringly, “I’m sure he’s fine.”  
            “But I miss him sooooo much,” Pepito whines.

            “Jeez, you’re clingy. He’s barely been gone two days,” Carmen comments, “how does Squee even put up with you?”

            Pepito just moans miserably in response.

            “Come on, you’ll feel better once we start playing,” she points out.

            “Yeah, alright,” Pepito grunts and sits up. He quickly tunes his guitar and positions it correctly. “Whenever you guys are ready.”

            They practice for a few hours, playing songs they already know and working on syncing up their sound. They all enjoy it immensely, having lots of fun while still being a little professional. They quickly get lost in their own music, playing with all their hearts with big smiles on their faces.

            But about halfway through a song, Pepito hears something out of place. He quickly stops playing and ushers the others to do the same. That’s when they notice the entire apartment is shaking.

            “It’s another earthquake!” Carmen exclaims.

            “Damn, I just thought that was us,” Colton comments.

            “We were rocking pretty hard,” Maddie nods agreeably.

            “Alright, don’t worry. It should be over soon,” Pepito says reassuringly.

            As predicted, it ends quickly with little consequence. They all sigh relief.

             “Okay, I think now is a good time for a break,” Pepito states, “how about we go to the store and get some snacks.”

            “Sounds good,” Carmen agrees as everyone starts putting their instruments down. Once everything is cleaned up, they head out.

            They walk closely-knit down the street, talking about random stuff. Colton mentions how his dad thinks he should get a summer job, Carmen says her mom’s been trying to contact her lately but she really doesn’t feel like seeing her, and Pepito whines some more about missing Squee. Maddie just listens quietly.

            They reach the store and quickly raid it for all kinds of junk food and drinks. They pay for it all and head back to Carmen’s house. They take a longer route this time, wanting to enjoy the warm summer air. Along the way they pass by a construction site. There’s a huge hole in the ground where it looks like a basement is going to go or something. They don’t pay much attention to it though, aside from running their fingers along the construction tape.

            The earthquake hits hard and without warning. The kids exclaim with surprise as they lose their balance and struggle to maintain their footing.

            “This one’s bigger!” Carmen exclaims.

            “Get away from the hole!” Pepito orders.

            They try to listen but they can’t move properly. The ground is shaking too much underneath their feet.

            Maddie squeals with fear as she completely loses her balance and falls through the construction tape.

            “Maddie!” Pepito, Carmen, and Colton exclaim. They all lunge for her and grab her, but instead of helping her they just doom themselves, and they all tumble into the hole.

            They hit the dirt hard and lie there for a few seconds, groaning in pain. Pepito attempts to sit up as he rubs his head, and notices the ground cracking beneath them.

            “Oh no,” he whispers fearfully.

            They all whimper as the cracks spread fast. Before they even have a chance to escape, the ground complete gives out underneath them. They scream as they plummet into absolute darkness.


	62. Fanatics Summer Fun Part 2.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pepito and his band struggle within the underground labyrinth beneath the city.

Summer Fun Part 2.2

 

            “The most recent earthquake, the biggest of the succession, has caused multiple cave-ins all over the city,” the news reporter explains, “emergency workers are scrambling about trying to help anyone who is danger.”

            “Oh, dear,” Rose mutters worriedly as she watches the TV. “I hope nobody is hurt.”

            Nugget glances up at her curiously before looking at the TV. Her chipped ear twitches and she narrows her eyes as her claws unsheathe instinctively. She has a bad feeling.

           

            Pepito’s eyes blink open. He groans as he sits up, rubbing his aching head. He looks around but all he sees is darkness.

            “Hello?” he calls.

            “Pepito, is that you?” someone answers back.

            “Colton? Where are you?” he asks.

            “Um…here,” he replies.

            “Right. Dumb question,” Pepito grunts.

            “Pepito? Colton?” a girl questions.

            “Carmen?” Colton replies.

            “Guys?” another girl groans.

            “Maddie,” Pepito states, “okay, everybody just stay put. Don’t move.”

            He paws around his waist until he finds his phone in his pocket. He pulls it out, turns on the flashlight, and shines it around.

            Colton, Carmen, and Maddie are sitting on the ground nearby. Nobody’s hurt, thankfully. They appear to be in some sort of round-ish cavern made entirely of dirt. The ceiling looks to be made up of crumbled rocks and boulders. It looks unstable. Pebbles keep falling to the ground.

            “Oh, great. This again,” Colton grunts.

            “Is this going to be a regular thing for us?” Carmen questions.

            “What? What’s going on?” Maddie asks.

            “We’re trapped underground,” Pepito replies, “that earthquake caused a cave-in and we fell into it.”

            “But-but where are we?” she asks more frantically.

            “The labyrinth underneath the city.”

            “Labyrinth underneath the city?” she exclaims.

            “Calm down, Maddie,” Colton sighs, “this kind of thing happens to us all the time. You got nothing to worry about. You’re with the pros here.”

            “Oh, I feel so much better,” Maddie groans sarcastically.

            “We better get moving,” Pepito growls, “it doesn’t look like this ceiling is going to hold for very long.”

            “How are we going to get out of here?” Carmen asks.

             “I don’t know,” he admits, “but we’ll figure it out. Let’s just move for now.”

            Everybody stands up on shaky feet. They take a second to gain their balance before walking through the cavern to the doorway on the other side. They exit into a large tunnel with a low ceiling. They follow it along quietly.

            “Okay,” Carmen grunts, “I don’t wanna be like the negative guy here, but I think we’re in big trouble.”

            “No kidding,” Colton scoffs.

            “You guys remember the last time we got stuck down?” she asks, “we walked around for hours before somehow falling up through a manhole? And we barely know how we even got there.”

            “This has happened before?” Maddie questions.

            “Sure. I told you we’re pros,” Colton shrugs.

            “Don’t listen to them, Maddie,” Pepito growls, “I mean yes this happened before. But we got out. And we’ll get out this time too. The labyrinth has entranceways all over the city. We just gotta find one.”

            “How come I never knew about the labyrinth before?” Maddie asks.

            “Nobody seems to,” he replies, “not until they fall into it.”

            They continue to follow the corridor quietly. It goes completely straight with no turn offs or curves or forks. Just a completely straight hallway.

            They walk for at least an hour before they finally find something: a doorway that opens up into a large cavern. They trot up to it and look around.

            “W-wait a minute,” Pepito grunts.

            “No way,” Carmen gasps.

            “This can’t be right!” Colton exclaims.

            “It’s impossible,” Maddie comments.

            They have just entered a round-ish cavern made completely of dirt with a ceiling made up of crumbling rocks and boulders. It’s the exact same cavern they were first in and the extra weird thing is, they haven’t even entered through a different doorway.

            “M-maybe it’s not the same cavern?” Carmen suggests.

            “Of course it is!” Colton exclaims, “look, there are indentations in the ground from where we fell!”

            “It’s not possible,” Maddie points out, “we didn’t turn or anything. We just kept going straight. And we just exited through the exact same corridor we entered! How could we have made it back here?”

            “Squee was always worried that there was something weird about the labyrinth,” Pepito growls, “I wonder if he knew just how weird it really is.”

            “So what do we do now?” Colton asks.

            “We can only keep moving,” he replies, “let’s head back down the corridor and see what happens.”  
            “Oh, god, we’re gonna die down here,” Maddie groans.

            They turn around and head back down the corridor. Just like last time, it goes completely straight. But after about half an hour of walking, they notice an opening in the left wall that leads to another corridor.

            “That wasn’t there before,” Carmen points out.

            “Let’s go,” Pepito orders.

            They turn down the new hallway. This one doesn’t curve at all either. It’s just a complete straight line.

            After another hour or so of walking, they come up to a doorway. They walk through it and freeze abruptly.

            “No way,” Pepito groans.

            They have just entered a round-ish cavern made completely of dirt with a ceiling made up of crumbling rocks and boulders. And once again, it is the exact same cavern they were in before and they just entered it through the same doorway.

            “This can’t be happening,” Maddie whimpers.

            “We’re somehow going in circles and we’re only going straight!” Carmen exclaims.

            “How is this happening? How do we get out of here?” Colton asks.

            “We gotta stay calm,” Pepito points out, “panicking won’t fix anything.”

            They nod agreeable and take a few deep breaths.

            “Let’s go back,” he orders.

            They turn and head right back down the corridor.

            They walk for another hour through the completely straight hall until they come up to another doorway in the right wall.

            “Okay. Go straight or turn?” Pepito asks.

            “We turned last time,” Carmen points out, “let’s go straight.”

            He shrugs and they continue on the same route. They walk for another hour until they spot a doorway up ahead. They glance at each other worriedly but continue on.

            They walk through the doorway into a round-ish cavern made completely of dirt with a ceiling made up of crumbling rocks and boulders. And once again, it is the exact same cavern they were in before and they just entered it through the same doorway.

            “I don’t even know how to feel about this anymore,” Carmen sighs, “I’m so tired.”

            “Me too,” Colton groans.

            “What now?” Maddie asks.

            Before anyone can answer, they suddenly plummet into complete darkness as the light goes out.

            “My phone just died,” Pepito states.

            “Hold on. We can use mine,” Carmen says. She pulls on her phone and turns on the flashlight just in time to see Pepito fall to his knees.

            “Pepito?” Colton questions.

            “What are we gonna do?” he asks, “how are we going to get out of here? We can’t even get away from this cavern.”

            Maddie, Colton, and Carmen look at each other worriedly.

            “How about…we just take a short break?” Carmen suggests.

            Maddie and Colton nod and they all sit on the ground. They watch Pepito with concern. He’s still sitting on his knees, just staring blankly into the darkness.

            “Pepito?” Colton questions.

            “We’re going die here,” he says plainly.

            “No, come on, don’t say that,” Carmen sighs.

            “Pepito, you’re not usually so negative,” Maddie points out.

            “What do you expect? We’re trapped in endless, twisting tunnels,” Pepito laments, “we’re never getting out of here.”

            The others look at each other worriedly before sighing. Carmen rests her phone in between them so the light shines around them. But the darkness surrounds them on the outside, slowly and quietly creeping in, just like the feelings of hopelessness.


	63. Fanatics Summer Fun Part 2.3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pepito and his band are missing. Some unlikely heroes go searching for them.

Summer Fun Part 2.3

 

            Rose paces back and forth nervously as she clutches the phone in her shaky hands. She hits the speed dial and holds it up to her ear.

            “This number is out of the service area.”

            “Oh,” Rose cries hopelessly as she hangs up. “He still doesn’t have any service. Did something happen? What if he got caught in one of those cave-ins? Should I call the police? But will they really be able to help him? Oh, what should I do?”

            Nugget watches her with concern. Her tail lashes about and she hops off the couch. She trots past Rose and into the kitchen. She jumps up onto the counter then up to the windowsill. The window is open just a crack. She looks back at Rose to make sure she’s not watching, then wiggles through the crack to the outside.

            Nugget lands perfectly on the ground below. She shakes out her fur, takes a quick look around, and takes off running.

            She races through the streets, following a familiar scent. She dashes across roads, past vehicles, and through yards until finally making it home to Grave Road. She slows down to a trot as she heads to the house owned by Shane and Sage. She slinks along the side of the house to the backyard. There’s a doghouse on the far end with a long tail sticking out of the opening. She marches right up to it.

            *All dialogue between animals will be translated to human for your convenience*

            “Bizner,” Nugget hisses.

            She listens for a response but all she hears is light snoring and breathing.

            “Bizner,” she says a little louder. Still no response.

            “Wake up, mutt!” she yowls and swipes her claws against his tail.

            The large dog cries out as he jumps to his feet and scrambles out of the doghouse. He looks around frantically before finally noticing Nugget. “Wh-who-where- oh. Oh, hello, Nugget.”

            He sits on the ground, his tail wagging happily. “What are you doing here? Weren’t you supposed to be staying somewhere else while your humans are gone?”

            “Yes, but something bad has happened and I need your help to fix it,” Nugget replies.

            “What? What happened?” he asks worriedly.

            “The boy I was staying with, Pepito- I think he’s trapped in the underground tunnels,” she explains as she hops onto Bizner’s back. “We have to go find him.”

            “Oh, no! That is bad,” he comments.

            Nugget swipes her claws against Bizner’s collar, slicing it off and freeing him from his chain. He stands up and trots out of the yard to the main road, Nugget sitting comfortably on his back.

            “You know, I’m surprised you’d wanna find him,” Bizner says, “I didn’t think you liked Pepito.”

            “I don’t,” Nugget grunts, “but I do like Squee. And if something happened to him, he’d be devastated.”

            “Alright,” he nods, “so how do we find him?”

            “First we gotta get into the tunnels,” she states, “we’ll use Nny’s entrance. Head to my house.”

            Bizner trots across the street to Johnny’s. Following Nugget’s directions, he goes to the far side of the house and stops outside Squee’s bedroom window. Nugget hops off his back.

            “Wait here,” she orders before heading to the backyard. She jumps onto the top of the fence and from there to the roof of the house. She scurries across to a board nailed loosely to the surface. Johnny put it there when he accidently blew up the microwave and it went flying through the ceiling.

            Nugget digs her paws under the board and lifts it up a few inches. She squeezes underneath and through the hole, dropping into the kitchen. She lands perfectly on her paws and scurries to Squee’s room. She nudges the door open and hurries to his windowsill. She unlocks it with her mouth and nudges it open with her snout and paws.

            Bizner quickly jumps up onto his hind legs and shoves it open all the way with his nose. He pants happily at Nugget before climbing into the room.

            “This is the first time I’ve been in your house,” he points out as he starts sniffing anything.

            “There’s a reason for that,” Nugget grunts, “don’t touch or do anything. And help me close this.”

            They quickly close Squee’s window before leaving his room and crossing the hall to the basement door. Bizner gently bites down on the knob and turns it, opening the door. They scurry through and jump off the landing into the basement.

            “So what’s the plan now, Nugget?” Bizner asks, “the labyrinth is huge. How are we gonna find them?”

            “Well, first we gotta get out of Nny’s territory,” she replies, “then hopefully you’ll be able to use your sense of smell to track them. And if that doesn’t work, I have a plan B.”

            “What’s that?”

            “We just have to find someone. But I’m sure we’ll run into him along the way.”

            They trot through Johnny’s basement, past his torture tools, prison cells, and the many, many detainees chained to the walls. Bizner and Nugget pay them no mind.

            As they saunter through one of the rooms full of bleeding, moaning torture victims, something flutters towards them, brushing against Nugget’s ear. She flinches and stops with surprise as a cockroach hovers in front of his nose.

            “Oh, Samsa,” she purrs, “I was hoping I’d find you.”

            “What are you doing here, Nugget?” the roach, Mr. Samsa, asks, “and who’s that?”

            “This is Bizner,” she replies, “he’s just a neighbor. But that’s not really important.”

            “Nugget, how is that bug talking?” Bizner asks, “bugs aren’t smart enough to talk.”

            Samsa buzzes angrily.

            “Samsa’s different,” Nugget points out, “but none of this is important. Listen, Samsa, we need your help. You know the labyrinth better than anyone. We need your help to find someone who may be trapped within it.”

            “Who is it?” Samsa asks.

            “Pepito, Squee’s mate,” she replies.

          “It’s a lost cause,” he sighs, “normal humans have no hope of surviving within the labyrinth.”

            “Pepito isn’t a normal human,” Bizner points out.  

            “He thinks like one, that’s all that matters,” Samsa retorts.

            “But that’s why we gotta help him,” Nugget insists, “look, Pepito is very important Squee. I’ll do anything to keep him happy, even if that means saving his arrogant, clingy mate from a magical, dangerous, ever-changing series of tunnels.”

            “I’ll never understand your fixation for your humans,” Samsa grunts.

            “Like you could,” Nugget scoffs, “the only human you ever interacted with is Nny and he always kills you.”

            “Well, whatever,” Samsa sighs, “since you’re so insistent, I’ll help you out. But I can’t guarantee anything. Even I have trouble traversing through the labyrinth.”

            “It’s fine, as long as you’re with me,” Nugget says as she hops onto Bizner’s back. “Now let’s get going. We’re wasting time.”

            “Fine. Follow me,” Samsa orders and buzzes off. Bizner scampers after him, Nugget sitting regally on his back. They dash deeper into the darkness of the tunnels, leaving behind them a room full of confused, chained-up torture victims wondering what the hell they just witnessed.


	64. Fanatics Summer Fun Part 2.4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The animals catch up to Pepito and his friends.

Summer Fun Part 2.4

 

            Colton, Carmen, and Maddie watch Pepito worriedly. He hasn’t moved for nearly half an hour. He’s just been sitting on his knees, staring into the darkness.

            They glance at each other before Carmen jumps to her feet in a huff. “We can’t just stay here. Let’s get moving.”

            “What’s the point?” Pepito grunts, “we’ll never get out of here.”

            “Pepito, what’s the matter with you?” she snaps, “I’ve never seen you this down before.”

            “It’s this place,” Maddie mutters fearfully, “it’s gotta be. It’s sucking the confidence right out of him.”

            “It’s sucking the life out of him,” Colton adds, “and we’ll be next if we don’t do something.”

            “There’s nothing we can do,” Pepito mumbles, “we can’t defeat the tunnels.”

            “Well, I refuse to think that way,” Carmen states defiantly. “Come on, Pepito. We can’t just stay here until we die.”

            A pebble suddenly falls from the ceiling and bounces off Pepito’s head. The kids look up with surprise as more and more rocks start crumbling to the ground. They scream as the boulders cave in and dive for the hallway, just barely dodging the crushing rumble.

            They pant as they stare at the now blocked doorway.

            “Now we really can’t stay here,” Colton comments.

            “Yeah,” Carmen nods as they stand up. “Come on, Pepito. It’s time we got moving.”  
            He looks at her with tired eyes but stands up anyway and the four of them continue their trek through the labyrinth.

            Carmen uses the flashlight on her phone to illuminate their way. The corridor continues on straight for a long ways until a turn off to the right seemingly appears out of nowhere. They stop and stare at it.

            “What do you guys think?” she asks.  

            “Who cares? No matter which way we’ll take, we’ll never get out of here,” Pepito mutters hopelessly.

            “We don’t need your input, Mister Grouchy,” Carmen snaps.

            “We’ve tried taking the turns before,” Maddie points out, “what if we just keep going straight?”  
            “Sure, why not?” Colton shrugs.

            Carmen nods. They pass the turn off and continue walking. Nothing seems to change and the corridor appears to go on forever. They walk for a few minutes before they hear a low growl somewhere from the shadows.

            They immediately freeze and stay perfectly still.

            “What the hell was that?” Carmen asks.

            “Maybe it was the tunnels creaking?” Colton suggests half-heartedly.

            “That wasn’t a creak, that was a guttural growl,” Maddie argues.

            They hear it again, louder this time. They wince and squeeze in closer together, except for Pepito who doesn’t seem to be registering what’s going on.

            They suddenly spot the source of the growling. It almost seems to expand from the shadows on the wall: a large, black dog with giant, glistening fangs. It doesn’t seem to have any eyes, but all of its attention is focused on the kids.

            “What the hell is that?” Carmen asks fearfully.

            “A hell hound,” Pepito replies apathetically, “a monster dog. Quite a few reside in the city. They are very dangerous.”

            “Can you fight it?” Colton asks frantically.

            “Why? What would be the point?” he questions.

            Carmen, Colton, and Maddie glance at him hopelessly before looking back at it the dog. It snarls hungrily, drool dripping from its chops, before charging forward. The kids scream and fall back into Pepito. They all topple to the ground and the dog lunges at them.

            Suddenly, from seemingly out of nowhere, a smaller, cleaner looking brown dog tackles the hell hound to the ground. They snarl and bark as they thrash around. Carmen, with shaky hands, points her phone at them to get a better look.

            “Bizner?” Colton questions.

            “Who’s Bizner?” Maddie asks.

            “My neighbor’s dog,” he replies, “how did he get here?”

            Bizner snaps and snarls, doing his best to put up a good fight, but the hell hound is much stronger than him and soon pins him to the ground. It goes in for the finishing blow when something brown and much smaller slams it in the stomach. It yips in pain and stumbles backwards, away from Bizner.

            The kids gasp as Nugget is illuminated by the phone’s light. She stands in front of Bizner protectively, her fur bristled and ears flat. The hell hound snarls and they glare at each other, a stand-off before the fight.

            They charge simultaneously at each other. Nugget jumps into the air and lands on the hell hound’s head, digging her claws into its skin. The hound yips and smacks her off with its huge paw. She rolls across the ground onto her feet and just barely avoids the hound’s large jaws. She swipes at his snout as she jumps back. It quickly shakes off the pain and lunges after her.

            Nugget may be nimble and quick but the hell hound is strong and can take a lot of pain. And one bite will turn Nugget to dog chow. The kids know this as they watch the fight in horror, but they can’t do anything. The only one who can fight is Pepito and he’s practically catatonic.

            Suddenly something small and black flies through the air, hitting Pepito in his temple. He gasps with surprise and blinks a couple times, as if he just woke up from a nap. He immediately notices Nugget scratching the hell hound’s nose as it attempts to bite her.

            “Nugget?” he questions. He rushes past his friends and rams into the hell hound’s midsection, wrapping his arms around it and tackling it to the ground.

            The hell hound thrashes about underneath him. Pepito does his best to hold it down while also avoiding its snapping jaws.

            Nugget reacts quickly. She dashes up to the hound and digs her claws into where its eyes would be then bites down hard on the bridge of its nose. It immediately howls in pain and thrashes about even more. It successfully shoves Pepito away but instead of attacking, races off into the shadows, yipping in pain.

            Pepito pants as he and Nugget stare after it. Then they look at each other.

            He smiles and sticks out his hand for Nugget to sniff. She blinks at him and sits down, respectfully. He gently pats her head.

            “Thanks for coming to help us,” he says. Nugget twitches her chipped ear in response.

            “Pepito, you’re back to normal!” Colton exclaims as he, Carmen, and Maddie run up to him.

            “Yeah, sorry,” Pepito winces as he stands up. “I don’t remember a lot of what happened earlier. I hope I didn’t say anything too stupid.”

            “No more stupid than usual,” Carmen jokes.

            “I can’t believe we were saved by a couple of animals,” Maddie comments.

            “It’s not the first time it’s happened,” she shrugs.

            Colton rushes to Bizner’s side and gently pats his shoulder. “You okay, Bizner? Shane’ll kill me if you’re really hurt.”

            He suddenly jumps up and licks Colton across the face. He exclaims with disgust and falls back. “Ew, gross! Damn dog!”

            Pepito, Carmen, and Maddie chuckle with amusement. Pepito then stretches out his back and looks around. “So, how are we getting out of here?”

            As if to answer the question, a cockroach suddenly flutters around Pepito’s face. He watches it with surprise.

            “Gross!” Carmen squeals and swipes at it. It nimbly dodges her hand and flies down the corridor.

            Nugget hops onto Bizner’s back. They stare at the kids for a second before he goes trotting off after the bug. Pepito watches them then looks at his bandmates.

            “We’ve tried everything else,” Maddie shrugs, “let’s follow a couple of animals.”

            They smile and run after Nugget and Bizner.

            If one were to map out their race through the tunnels, it would almost look like they’re going in circles. They go every which way- right, left, forward- sometimes they even backtrack. But they never end up in the same corridor. It’s obvious the cockroach knows what it’s doing, no matter how insane that sounds.

            After nearly an hour of nonstop running, they finally come to a dead end. Samsa and Bizner slow to a stop and the kids fall to their knees, panting and exhausted.

            “Wh-where are we?” Colton asks.

            “Look!” Carmen exclaims as he shines her light on the wall. “A ladder!”

            They jump to their feet, beaming with elation at the ladder stuck to the wall and leading to the ceiling. They run up to it and look at the top.

            “Where does it lead?” Maddie asks.

            “Looks like a manhole cover,” Colton replies.

            “I’ll go first,” Pepito states as he grabs the poles. He starts to climb up, slowly and carefully. He presses his hands and shoulders against the cover and shoves it open with great difficulty. Sunlight immediately streams through the hole. He covers his eyes from the offensive gleam but sighs with relief and pulls himself through the hole.

            He looks up and the first thing he sees is Zim’s face. He’s crawling out of what appears to be an alien spaceship that’s crashed into the ground. He’s covered in bruises and a few cuts. They stare at each other, speechless.

            “What happened to you?” they exclaim simultaneously

            “Me?” Pepito scoffs, “look at you! You’re all bruised up! And is that a spaceship?”

            “You’re coming out of the ground!” Zim retorts, “and you’re absolutely filthy!”

            They pant as they stare at each other before bursting into laughter.

            “Busy day?” Pepito questions, still chuckling.

            “Nah, you know, just saved the whole planet,” Zim scoffs jokingly as he stands up. “You?”

            “Nothing so extravagant,” he replies, “just got trapped underground.”

            “That happens a lot to you.”

            “Yeah. It’s becoming my ‘thing’.”

            The cockroach suddenly flies past his head and disappears down the road.

            “Hey! What’s the hold up?” Carmen snaps.

            “Oh, sorry,” Pepito says quickly as he crawls up onto the surface. He reaches into the hole and starts helping everyone out: Carmen and Maddie first and then Colton who’s carrying Bizner and Nugget on his back. He grunts with exertion while the big dog appears to be having the time of his life.

            Meanwhile, Dib and Gaz step out of the spaceship, groaning and rubbing their sore bruises. They look up at Pepito and his band with surprise.

            “Hey, Maddie,” Gaz waves.

            “Hi, Gaz,” Maddie replies.

            “Man, looks like we’ve all been through a lot today,” Colton comments as he rubs his back.

            “Yeah! You won’t believe what happened!” Dib exclaims excitedly.

            Pepito starts to smile but stops at Nugget’s meowing. He looks down at her questionably and she cocks her head.

            “Oh!” Pepito gasps with realization and looks at his friends. “I’d love to hear what happened to you guys, but I’ve really gotta go. I’m sure my mom is worried sick about me.”

            “Oh, yeah. Me too,” Colton adds.

            “Yeah, we should really get home,” Carmen agrees.

            “I’ll text you guys later, okay?” Pepito promises as he and his bandmates start racing down the street.

            “You better!” Zim orders.

            Pepito, Carmen, Colton, and Maddie run to Carmen’s place where they grab their instruments before hurrying to their homes. Nugget runs alongside Pepito all the way to his house until he bursts through the door.

            As he predicted, Rose was worried sick. And she is so relieved to see him. She clutches his head to her chest and squeezes him tight, telling him how worried she was and how she’s so glad he’s okay. Pepito just squeezes her arms and takes it until it’s all out of her system.

            He looks past Rose at Nugget as she hops onto the couch. Her eyes meet his and he smiles gratefully. She blinks at him before curling up into a ball.

            Later that night, after a much needed shower, Pepito lies in his comfortable bed. Nugget is curled up beside him, watching him look through his cellphone. He’s scrolling through his past messages to Squee. He’s sent dozens in the last hour or so, but not a single one has gone through. He’s tried calling a couple times, but it keeps telling him his phone cannot be reached.

            Pepito sighs as he turns onto his side, resting his cell by his pillow. He looks at Nugget, who’s staring at him, her ears angled backwards.

            “Yeah,” Pepito sighs as he gently pats her head. “I’m worried about him too.

            He rolls onto his back and sighs again. “I hope he’s okay.”


	65. Fanatics Summer Fun Part 3.1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nny, Squee, Devi, and Tenna's short vacation goes horribly, horribly wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay this is gonna get confusing. This whole next segment is based off my old JtHM fanfic, Dreaming Awake, which can be found on my DA if you're interested: https://www.deviantart.com/murderousmanic18  
> I'll explain everything here though so bear with me. The monster that lived in Nny's wall is called the Nightmare, a being of pure evil that feeds off the imagination of creative people- artists, writers, etc- turning them into mere husks of their former selves. It creates minions to torment its future victims, making them more susceptible. The Doughboys, Reverend Meat, and Sickness were all its minions.  
> In Dreaming Awake, the Nightmare returns with a vengeance and creates a new minion, a woman named Zoli made to destroy Nny. Zoli has the power to raise the dead, among others things, and brings back all of Nny's past victims as her army. Jimmy, Edgar Vargas, Tess, Dillon, and Krik are her generals. In the end, Nny, Squee, Devi, and Tenna work together to destroy Zoli and free themselves from the Nightmare.  
> Okay I think that's everything. I know it's pretty convoluted but I stand by my old works. Anyway, if you have any questions, feel free to ask. Thanks for reading!

Summer Fun Part 3.1

 

            Classical music plays through the speakers as Devi’s car drives down the empty highway. Johnny is in the driver’s seat, one arm resting against the door while the other holds the wheel steady; Squee is in the passenger’s seat, watching the scenery go by with Shmee sitting in his lap. In the backseat, Devi and Tenna are going over notes for an upcoming art gallery in Los Angeles. It starts tomorrow and Devi got invited to show some of her art. She also got three free guest tickets so she invited Tenna, Nny, and Squee to come along.

            Devi sighs with exasperation and kicks the back of the driver’s seat. “Can’t you play anything else? I’m tired of classical music.”  
            “You wanted me to drive,” Johnny reminds her, “and driver picks the music.”

            “He’s got you there, D,” Tenna points out.

            Devi just scoffs and goes back to her notes.

            “What are you doing back there anyway?” Nny asks.

            “Just going over a bunch of stuff about the gallery and the hall it’ll be in,” she replies, “this is the first time I’ll be displaying my art in a different city. I don’t wanna screw it up.”

            “I’m kind of excited,” Squee beams, “this is my first time leaving the city. For vacation I mean.”  
            “Really?” Tenna questions, “oh, man. Then I will personally see to it that you have the time of your life. We’ll try lots of different foods, see a bunch of different sights. It’s gonna be great!”

            Squee smiles excitedly.

            “You know, we’re only going to Los Angeles,” Johnny points out.

            “Still, L.A. is full of diversity,” Tenna retorts, “have you ever been there?”

            “I probably passed through it,” he replies, “a few years ago I went travelling around America but I didn’t really sightsee or stay in one place for too long.”

            “What, were you running from something?” Devi asks sarcastically.

            “Myself mostly,” he states sincerely.

            There’s a small, awkward silence.

            “Well, this time will be way more fun,” Squee beams, “cause I’ll be with you.”

            Nny smiles. He reaches over and plants his hand on Squee’s head, tousling his hair a bit. “Yeah.”

            “Ugh, if I have to stay in this car with all your mushiness for much longer I’m gonna hurl,” Tenna gags jokingly. “How long until we’re there?”

            “I don’t know. Another hour?” Johnny replies.

            “About that,” Devi nods.

            “Aaaahhh,” Tenna whines.        

            “The journey is just as important as the destination,” Squee states.

            “But this journey is boring,” she complains, “I wish something interesting would happen.”  
            As if on cue, a black car with darkly tinted windows appears in the distance. Johnny doesn’t pay it much mind until he notices it picking up speed very quickly in the rear view mirror.

            He cocks his eyebrow as he watches it with confusion. “What-?”

            Before he has a chance to finish, the mysterious vehicle rams into the back of the car. Johnny, Devi, Tenna, and Squee shout with surprise as they lurch forward.

            “What the fuck?” Devi barks as she looks out the back window.

            The vehicle backs up and rams them again. After shouting again with surprise, Johnny steps on the gas while glaring over his shoulder.

            “Squee, you got your knives or bombs?” he asks.

            “No, my bag’s in the back,” Squee replies while he curls into a ball.

            “Shit, so is my jacket,” Johnny snarls, “Devi, you keep any weapons up here?”

            “There’s a mini pistol in the middle console,” she says, “but what are you gonna do, shoot the guy?”

            He doesn’t reply right away as he pops open the console and grabs the little gun. He looks at Squee warily, who is eyeing the weapon with pure fear in his eyes.

            Johnny growls and rolls down the window before leaning out. “I’m just gonna shoot out his front tire,” he says as he aims the pistol.

            He closes his left eye, aims carefully, and fires. He shoots true and takes out the left front tire. The driver immediately loses control and swerves into the ditch. Everyone sighs with relief.

            Johnny sits back in his seat and tosses the gun back into the console. “Was that interesting enough for you, Tenna?”

            “What the fuck was up with that?” Devi exclaims.

            “Probably a bunch of rowdy teenagers looking to cause trouble,” Tenna grunts, “hopefully they learn from this experience. You never know who’s carrying a gun.”

            Johnny glances at Squee. He’s curled up in a ball and trembling as he squeezes Shmee to his face and stares out the windshield with wide, fear-filled eyes.

            “Hey, you okay?” Nny asks.

            Squee silently shakes his head. He slowly lowers Shmee and takes a couple of deep breaths. “That was…something bad.”

            “Eh, it was just a douchebag,” Devi scoffs.

            “N-no,” Squee stammers, “no. No, it was… it was something…evil. Something…” He looks down at Shmee. “Familiar.”

            “What do you mean?” Johnny asks.

            Squee doesn’t reply. He just keeps looking at Shmee with scared eyes.

            Johnny looks back at the road just in time to see a car approaching them, on the wrong side of the street. He growls with annoyance and suspicion.

            “Johnny,” Devi mutters fearfully. He glances over his shoulder and sees two cars coming up on them fast, one in both lanes. The one on the left speeds up so they’re right beside the car.

            “They’re boxing us in!” Tenna exclaims.

            Johnny snarls. He grabs Devi’s mini pistol from the console and rolls down the window. He aims at the adjacent vehicle and pulls the trigger, but nothing happens.

            “One bullet?!” he barks.

            “What’d you expect?” Devi retorts.

            “Augh!” Johnny shouts and frustration and just whips the gun at the car. It smashes through the passenger window and at the mysterious occupants. They must be surprised because they screech back and swerve off the road.

            “Hang on,” Johnny orders. He yanks the wheel to the left and zooms past the vehicle ahead of them. He watches in the rear view mirror as they do a U-turn and chases after them, along with the second mystery vehicle.

            “They’re chasing after us!” Devi exclaims.

            “Yeah, I know!” Johnny snaps.

            “What do we do?” Tenna asks frantically.

            He doesn’t reply. He just growls and squeezes the wheel tighter.

            The road ahead of them is empty and stretches far into the distance. They’re approaching a right turn off. Johnny considers taking it but quickly dismisses the idea. He doesn’t know where that road leads; it might just make things worse for them.

            They start to pass the turn off when Squee suddenly gets a really bad feeling. He looks through his window just in time to see another vehicle heading straight for them.

            Everything seems to go in slow motion. The car hits them head on, t-boning them. They scream with surprise as it shoves them across the road.

            Johnny grits his teeth, slams on the gas, and whips the wheel to the right. The car flies forward and off of the grill of the attacking vehicle. But he can’t control it and they swerve around the road before crashing through the trees. They eventually come to a quick stop when they slam into a large trunk, triggering the airbags.

            Everything’s quiet for a second. Johnny groans as his airbag deflates and he falls against the steering wheel. He grips the dashboard and forces his head up. He’s feeling dizzy and seeing doubles. He looks around wearily before noticing Squee in the passenger seat, passed out against his deflating airbag.

            “Squee,” he mumbles and slowly starts to reach over.

            Suddenly, all four doors fly open. Johnny barely notices someone standing at the passenger door but before he can fully register anything, somebody grabs him from behind, rips him from the seat, and throws him to the ground. He gasps with surprise as the back of his head bounces off the hard dirt.

            Johnny lies there, groaning exhaustedly. He can hear voices but can’t register what they’re saying. People are moving around him but he can’t make out who they are or what they look like.

            The first thing he notices is Squee hanging over someone’s shoulder. He’s unconscious and blood is dripping from his forehead.

            Everything switches back on.

            Johnny’s hand lashes out and grabs the closest thing to him, which just happens to be somebody’s neck. He crushes it like glass as he jumps to his feet then tosses the body away. He snarls like a beast before taking off after Squee’s captor.

            He’s aware everyone is shouting but he can’t hear what they’re saying. The person carrying Squee quickly notices him and tries to run away but he has no chance. Johnny catches him quickly. He grabs the back of their head and throws them to the ground, gently catching Squee with his other hand.

            He momentarily forgets everything else as he cradles Squee and checks out his injury. But before he can get a good look, something strikes the back of his head. He gasps with surprise and drops Squee before looking back, growling angrily.

            His assailant drops their weapon and tries to run away but they don’t even make it one step before Johnny grabs them by the back of their neck and whips them into a tree.

            Others try to attack him with all manners of weapons. He’s not sure how many there are but he kills every one of them. He snaps their necks, smashes their skulls, crushes their chest cavities. Soon he’s panting and surrounded by dead bodies.

            It starts raining, slowly at first but quickly picks up into a downpour. It seems to wash away all of Johnny’s mindless rage, along with the blood from his innumerable injuries.

            His senses start returning to him. He rubs his face and groans exhaustedly as he looks around. It got really dark really quick. He can’t see the car and he has no idea where Devi or Tenna are.

            He quickly spots Squee a few feet away, lying motionless on the ground. He picks him up and cradles him close to his chest. He hurries to a large tree for cover and rests the unconscious boy against the trunk.

            Johnny takes a deep breath and gently wipes the blood off Squee’s forehead. It’s just a little cut thankfully and he doesn’t appear to have any other injuries, save some bruises.

            “Squee?” he questions, “Squee, can you hear me? Open your eyes.”

            Squee groans as his eyelids twitch. He forces them open as if they weigh like lead and looks at Johnny. It’s obvious he’s not registering anything and he quickly passes out again.        

            Johnny groans. He rubs his head and looks around, as if he’s searching for an answer. They can’t stay here, but they can’t just wander around in a monsoon either. Squee can’t even move. But they need to find the car and the girls.

            He sighs before grunting affirmatively. He whips off his sweater and drapes it over Squee’s shoulder, pulling the hood up over his head. It’s so big on him, it practically covers his whole body. Then Johnny picks him up on his back, wrapping his thin arms around his neck and hooking his arms around his knees. He stands up and looks around.

            He can’t see much and doesn’t recognize anything. He has no idea how far the car might be or even in what direction it is. So, after a heavy sigh, he steps out of the cover of the tree into the storm and takes off in a random direction.

            He doesn’t know what’s going on or why this happened. All he can do is hope he finds some sort of shelter soon, for Squee’s sake, and that the girls are safe.

            He knows one thing though. When he finds the assholes responsible for this mess, he’ll gut them like fish.


	66. Fanatics Summer Fun Part 3.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the midst of a storm, Nny meets an old friend.

Summer Fun Part 3.2

 

            Johnny’s boots sink deeper into the mud with each step. With every passing second his body is getting heavier from the weight of the pouring rain and his own exhaustion. He can’t see more than a couple feet in front of him. He’s basically lost all hope in finding the car, but he can’t stop moving. He needs to find shelter and a place to rest for Squee.

            Johnny’s coat is protecting him from the rain, thankfully, but it’s not helping him. His body heat has been steadily increasing; Johnny can feel it through his back. If he doesn’t get some rest someplace safe and dry soon… well, Nny tries not to think about it.

            He’s not sure how long he’s been walking. His sense of time has always been skewered and being trapped in a pitch black monsoon doesn’t help. But eventually he finally makes it out of the trees and onto a gravel road.

            He appears to be right in the middle. The road goes off left and right with no indication as to which is the correct way. So after a brief moment, Johnny takes a deep breath and decides to go right.

            The gravel road quickly proves to be a worse terrain than the forest. The rocks are slippery under his feet and with no trees to use as cover, the rain is hitting him even harder now. It chills him to the bone and sticks in his injuries. But he still doesn’t stop. Not until he spots a faint light in the distance.

            He stares at it curiously, trying to determine what it might be. Could it be the fabled ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ people supposedly see when they die? But Johnny’s died at least twice to his memory and he’s never seen it.

            He lets out a short sigh before taking off towards it. Wherever it leads, it’s got to be better than staying trapped in this storm.

            The light slowly gets brighter the closer Johnny gets to it until he finally reaches the source. The road splits up into a large parking lot leading up to an even larger house. Johnny can just barely make it out in the darkness.

            It’s one floor but quite long and wide. There are two large windows on either side of the front door, the left one of which is displaying the light while the right one has the curtains drawn. Attached to the house is a large wooden deck with a ramp instead of stairs. Johnny quickly trots into it and sighs with relief from finally being out of the rain.

            The deck is empty except for a nice porch swing. Johnny considers just sleeping on that but decides that it’d be warmer in the house. He briefly lets go of one of Squee’s legs to knock on the door.

            A man answers rather quickly. He’s tall and lean with visible muscles. His body type hardly fits his appearance.

            His short brown hair is combed almost obnoxiously neatly and there is a pair of reading glasses perched on his forehead. He’s wearing a white polo shirt with black pants, nice shoes, and a white waist apron. He wipes his hands on it as he eyes Johnny suspiciously.

            “Hi, I’m really sorry about this,” Nny says quickly, “but I was just in a car accident and I need a place to stay until the storm passes.”

            “Well, I’m sorry, but you can’t stay here,” the man responds as he begins to shut the door.

            “No no no, wait, you don’t understand,” he argues and keeps the door open with his foot. “I have a kid and-.”

            “Look, I’m sorry, sir, but I can’t allow some filthy drifter into the house,” the man snaps impatiently.

            “Drifter?” Johnny snarls, his anger quickly rising.

            A voice suddenly sounds from somewhere in the house. “Thomas? Who’s at the door?”

            “No one important, ma’am,” the man replies.

            “We never get visitors. Our first one must have an important reason,” the woman scoffs as she approaches the door and shoos Thomas away. “Go, go clean the dishes or something. I’ll handle it.”  
            The woman is older, at least sixty. She has really short, greying black hair and hard brown eyes. Her face is stern and lined, like she’s been through a lot. And nobody would doubt it. She’s in a wheelchair with a wooden cane on her lap and her right leg missing at the knee. She looks at Johnny suspiciously but her face immediately softens and fills with surprise.

            “J-Johnny?” she questions.

            “How do you know my name?” he exclaims with surprise.

            “Y-you don’t…remember me?” she asks cautiously.

            “N-no,” he replies suspiciously.

            She stares at him with a sad expression for a second before quickly shaking her head. “Well, that doesn’t matter. Come in, quickly. You’ll catch your death out there.”

            Johnny hurries through the door and she kicks it closed with her left leg, which seems to work perfectly fine. Then she turns her chair and faces him. “So what happened to you?”

            “We were in a car accident and got caught in the storm,” he replies.

            “We?” The woman questions before noticing the two legs poking out of his curled arms and the sweater-covered mound sitting on his back.

            “You have a child!” she exclaims.

            “Yeah,” Johnny nods as she removes the soaked sweater, revealing the unconscious Squee. His face is flushed and he’s breathing heavily. “He’s not doing too well.”

            “Neither are you,” she comments, “you’re covered in cuts and gashes and you’re positively soaked. Is that from the accident?”

            “No, I um…got into a fight.”  
            The woman cocks her eyebrow almost knowingly and nods. “Right. Well, don’t worry. The two of you can stay here as long as you need. Thomas!” she calls, “get these two some towels and fresh clothes.”

            “Yes, ma’am,” Thomas nods as he rushes by and down the hall.

            “I’ll take you to your room,” she says to Nny. “I’m afraid we only have one extra furnished bedroom so I hope the two of you don’t mind sharing a bed.”  
            “No, that’s fine,” he replies.

            Johnny starts to follow her but stops when he notices he’s tracking mud. He struggles to remove his boots without dropping Squee.

            “Oh, don’t worry about that,” the woman says quickly. “Thomas can clean it up. Now come along.”  
            He follows her down the hall to a closed door. She opens it to reveal a simple bedroom with a queen sized bed, nightstand, wardrobe, and small window on the far wall with the curtains drawn.

            “You can sleep here,” the woman says as she rolls out of the way. “If you need anything, feel free to ask.”

            “Thank you,” Johnny replies.

            She smiles and nods before rolling away.

            “W-wait,” he says quickly and she stops. “What’s your name?”  
            “Cammie,” she replies and looks at him with a sly grin. “But you can call me Granny.”

            Johnny cocks his head curiously as he watches her leave. She said that as if he should know what that means. She also knows his name. But ‘Granny Cammie’ doesn’t ring any bells, not that he expected it to.

            “Sir.” Johnny is shook from his thoughts as Thomas approaches him, holding folded towels and clothes. “Here are some fresh clothes. I’ll leave them on the bed for you. Please leave your soiled clothes outside the door and I will launder them.”

            “Okay. Thanks,” Johnny says as he leaves. He quickly enters the room and closes the door behind him.

            Johnny lets Squee slide off his back onto the bed. He lets out a long sigh of relief as he rolls his shoulders. Then he grabs a towel and starts peeling off his soaked clothes as he dries off. Once he’s changed- sweatpants and sweatshirt, both of which are too big on his skinny frame- he focuses on Squee. 

            The poor kid is flushed red and panting. It’s obvious just from looking at him that he’s got a bad fever. But at least the injury on his forehead has stopped bleeding.

            The other outfit are slightly smaller pants and a long sleeved shirt, both of which are way too big for Squee. The shirt would probably fit him like a dress. But it must’ve been the smallest stuff they had.

            Johnny sits beside him and gently shakes his shoulder. “Squee. Squee, wake up.”

            His eyes blink open and he looks at him, barely half-conscious.

            “Here,” Nny says as he hands him the other towel and the shirt. “Get out of your clothes, dry off, and change into this.”

            Squee obeys almost robotically. He’s clearly not fully aware of what’s going on. But he strips out of his dirty, half-soaked clothes, dries off his arms and legs, and slips on the shirt-dress.

            “Good. Now get into bed,” Johnny orders as he pulls aside the quilt. Squee does so, and he’s asleep the second his head hits the pillow.

            Nny tucks him in and gently pats his head. Then he piles up all of their clothes and their shoes and dumps them outside the door.

            He lets out loud yawn as he lumbers back to the bed. Exhaustion is really hitting him hard now. But is it alright for him to relax? He should stay awake and keep watch, in case their enemies come back or that old lady turns out to be bad.

            Johnny commits himself to this plan. But the second he sits on the bed, his vision begins blurring and he falls back, passing out immediately.


	67. Fanatics Summer Fun Part 3.3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Devi and Tenna meet a pair of old zombie rivals, Krik and Dillon.

Summer Fun Part 3.3

 

            Devi’s eyes blink open. She immediately shuts them again when she feels a shooting pain in her forehead. She moves to rub it and quickly realizes her arms are bound behind her back. Her eyes shoot open and she looks around.

            She’s lying on the floor of an empty van with only two bucket seats in front. Her wrists are fastened together by twist ties. Tenna is unconscious beside her.

            Devi struggles to get up to her knees as she eyes the seats. She can make out two people sitting in them, though she can’t tell who they are.

            “Tenna,” she whispers, “Tenna, wake up.”

            “Mm, five more minutes,” Tenna mutters sleepily.

            “We’ve been kidnapped,” she hisses, “get up.”

            “Huh?” she mumbles as she opens her eyes and looks around. She quickly gets the picture and shoots up. “Shit, what’s going on?”

            “Hey, they’re awake,” the front passenger says. The van pulls over and the two kidnappers peek around their seats, horrid, creepy grins on their faces.

            “You two!” Devi and Tenna exclaim simultaneously.

            Their smirks widen maliciously.

            “Wait…what were your names again?” Tenna asks.

            Their smiles disappear and they irk with annoyance as they jump to their feet.

            “Dhillon and Krik!” they exclaim.

            “Remember?” Dhillon asks, “we work for Zoli, a minion of the Nightmare?”

            “Oh, we remember you,” Tenna reassures, “we just didn’t remember your names.”

            “So you assholes were behind that whole mess,” Devi snaps.

            “That’s right,” Krik says proudly, “the cars were being driven by zombies with the express purpose of knocking you off the road. You guys put up quite the fight, but really you didn’t stand a chance. I mean, those zombies are unfeeling. They never would’ve stopped.”

            “Where’s Johnny and Squee?” she demands.

            “Oh, I’m sure you’ll be meeting them soon enough,” he replies slyly, “in the meantime, we got places to be. Get comfortable.”

            They sit back in the seats and Krik starts driving the van. From what little the girls can see of the outside, they can tell they’re on some kind of back highway. But where, they have no idea.

            Devi growls and tries to loosen her binds, but the twist ties just dig deeper into her wrists. She winces and looks at Tenna. She looks back at her with a determined expression then nods subtly at Krik and Dhillon. Devi nods with understanding.

            “I don’t get it,” she says as she sidles up to them on her knees. “I always suspected the Nightmare might come back, but it’s been three years. What took so long?”

            “We wanted to be smarter about it this time around,” Dhillon replies, “it’s hard to admit but you did kind of defeat us last time.”

            “Kind of?” Devi scoffs, “we kicked your asses.”

            “That’s why we decided to wait until you left your home turf,” Krik adds, “when you make for good targets. It was Lady Zoli’s idea.”

            “Well, I didn’t think you two were smart enough to think it up,” she scoffs, “so what now? Is the Nightmare still gonna devour our imagination?”

            “Obviously. Why else would it want you?” Dhillon grunts.

            “You won’t win,” she states, “we beat you last time, we can do it again!”

            “Yeah, right!” Krik scoffs, “we’re stronger than last time.”

            “So are we,” Devi smirks.

            As if on cue, Tenna jumps to her feet and hooks her bounded hands around Krik’s neck, pulling up on his Adam’s apple. He gags with surprise and swerves around the road.

            While Devi was distracting the zombie duo, Tenna was busy squirming in the background, working her hands around her hips and legs so they’re no longer behind her back.

            “Pull over!” she orders.

            Dhillon gasps with surprise and starts to reach for inside his jacket, but Devi isn’t having it. She quickly jumps to her feet and kicks him in the chin, disorienting him for a second. Then she falls in his lap, driving her knee into his groin and pressing her chest into his face, holding him still.

            He lightly moans into her breasts.

            “Don’t you dare enjoy this!” Devi barks, digging her knee even deeper into his crotch. “Tenna, get these things off of me!”  
            “Working on it!” Tenna replies as she pulls up on Krik’s neck. “Pull over!”  
            He finally listens and shakenly pulls the van over and turns it off. Tenna loosens her grip a smidge and he slowly lowers his hands off the wheel and towards his waist.

            “Ah!” she snaps and pulls up again. He gags and lifts his hands up.

            “Now, do you have a knife or something?” she asks as she examines his body and spots a switchblade sticking out of his jeans pocket. “Oh, here we go. If you move, I’ll snap your neck.”

            Tenna removes her arms from around his neck and grabs the knife from his pocket. She flips it open and turns to cut off Devi’s twist ties.

            “Ouch,” she grunts and rubs her wrists when she’s finally free. There are deep red grooves embedded into her skin.

            She lifts her chest off Dhillon’s face and instead grips his chin with her hand to hold him still as she turns around to help Tenna. Then she notices a malicious glare on Krik’s face as he grabs something from under his shirt.

            “Tenna!” Devi exclaims and tackles her to the floor just as Krik fires a gun. It narrowly misses the girls and instead hits Dhillon right in the forehead. The force of the shot sends him flying into the car door, smashing it open, and tumbling into the ditch.

            Devi snarls and lunges at Krik. He moves to shoot her but she grabs his wrists and forces him to hold the gun up. They struggle like that for a few seconds, constantly slamming against the door until it’s knocked open, and they fall out.

            They roll across the road, shouting and grunting angrily before stopping with Krik on top of Devi. He straddles her, holding her legs down, and uses one hand to wrestle for the gun while the other grips her neck. She gags and her grip on the gun loosens as he starts squeezing.

            Meanwhile, in the van, Tenna struggles to cut off her twist ties with the knife. She can’t hold it properly with her hands so instead she just sticks the handle in her mouth. With a lot of grunting and struggling she manages to cut through her binds just enough to tear them off herself. She spits out the knife and smiles victoriously.

           She starts to stand up when out of the corner of her eye she notices something charging her. She turns around just in time to stop Dhillon from tackling her. They grip each other hands and play a dangerous game of Mercy.

            They’re pretty much equal in strength. They hold each other still for a few seconds before Tenna pulls on him, yanking him towards her, and slams her forehead against his. They both shout in pain and stumble back, gripping their heads.

            “Ah, fuck,” Tenna moans, “that was stupid.”

            Meanwhile, back outside, Devi is struggling to keep her breathing even and her hands on the gun as Krik tightens his grip on her neck. She writhes underneath, trying to wiggle free, but it’s no use. And she’s not strong enough to hold the gun away with one hand. She has no chance.

            But she won’t accept that.

            Her left hand slips off the gun. Krik smirks, assuming he’s winning, and successfully points the gun at her head. Devi clenches her fist and swings at his face. Krik squeezes the trigger.

            Devi cracks Krik in the chin just as a bullet shatters the asphalt inches from her head. Krik cries out in pain and rolls off of her while Devi lies still on the ground, her eyes wide with shock.

            She quickly shakes it off and jumps to her feet. She steps on Krik’s wrist, loosening his grip on the gun, and punches him again and again. Then she grabs him by his bald head, digging her nails into his scalp, and slams his face into the side of the van.

            He exclaims in pain as she drops him on the ground in a heap. Then she climbs back into the van.

            “Tenna!” she exclaims then stops with confusion when she sees Dhillon and Tenna writhing on the floor, gripping their foreheads.

            “What the hell happened?” she asks.

            “Head butts are a terrible idea,” Tenna replies.

            Devi just sighs and marches up to Dhillon. She picks him up by his hair and punches him in the cheek before dragging him out of the van and tossing him to the ground next to the Krik.

            “Pull yourself together, Tenna!” Devi orders.

            “Yeah, yeah. I’m coming,” Tenna nods and joins her as they confront the zombie duo.

            Tenna plants her foot on Dhillon’s neck, holding him down, while Devi kicks Krik in the stomach. He gasps in pain and curls in on himself.

            “Now talk!” she barks, “where are Johnny and Squee?”

            “We don’t know,” Krik groans, “after your car crashed, Johnny lost his shit and started blindly wiping out all of the zombies. So Dhillon and I just grabbed you two and got the fuck out of there. We have no idea where he or Squee ended up.”

            “Fucking useless,” Devi scoffs, “but somebody must be looking for them, right? Who is it?”

            “Probably Jimmy,” he replies, “he was in charge of grabbing them after the car crash, and he was one of the zombies Johnny destroyed. He’s probably looking for them now.”

            “And if he finds them? What then?”

            “He’ll take them to Lady Zoli.”  
            “What do we do?” Tenna asks.

            Devi sighs and rubs her neck. She starts to turn away when she notices Krik moving to get up.

            “Hey!” she snaps and kicks him again. He falls back down and moans in pain.

            “Tenna, go in the van and see if there are any more twist ties,” she orders. Tenna nods and obeys, jumping into the van.

            Dhillon starts to get up but Devi stomps on his stomach and he stays down.

            “I got some!” Tenna announces as she hops out.

            “Good, tie them up. Ankles too,” Devi demands. Tenna does so, binding them tight. “Now help me get them in the back of the van.”

             They grab the zombie duo by their necks and pull them up to their feet. After a lot of struggling, swearing, and punching, they manage to get them into the back of van, dropping them in a heap. Then they climb into the front.

            “Now,” Devi snarls, “you’re gonna direct me to Zoli.”

            “What?” Krik and Dhillon exclaim with surprise.

            “Devi, what are we doing?” Tenna asks.

            “We won’t find Johnny and Squee in time. Jimmy will get to them first,” Devi points out, “but when Johnny finds out that the Nightmare is behind all of this, he’ll go straight to Zoli. So we’ll meet him there.”

            “Oh, I get it,” Tenna smirks.

            “So, which way?” Devi asks.

            Krik sighs. “Just keep going straight. But if you think you can beat her, you’re wrong. She’s much stronger than she was three years ago.”

            “Like I said,” she grunts as she starts the van. “So are we.”


	68. Fanatics Summer Fun Part 3.4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Squee wakes up and assesses the situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a warning, this chapter uses the f*g slur but only once.

Summer Fun Part 3.4

 

            The first time Squee wakes up, he’s barely half conscious. He doesn’t know where he is or what happened, but he’s also not aware of these facts. All he knows is that Johnny is asleep at his feet, with half his body hanging off the bed.

            He sits up and gently nudges him awake. “Nny. You should come under the covers.”

            Johnny looks at him with glazed over eyes before rolling over. He crawls across the bed and collapses on the pillow. Squee pulls the blanket over both of them and they immediately fall back to sleep.

            The second time Squee wakes up, he’s much more coherent. Before his eyes even open he quickly realizes he doesn’t remember a damn thing.

            His eyes fly open and he shoots up. The first thing he notices is his completely unfamiliar surroundings. The second thing is his clothing: he’s only wearing a large shirt he doesn’t recognize and his briefs.

            He starts to feel panicked and scared until he sees Johnny beside him. He’s fast asleep but his face is flushed and his breath is laboured. All of Squee’s fear quickly morphs into worry as he gently runs his finger down Nny’s cheek. He’s burning up.

            “Nny,” he sighs. Then he grunts with determination and jumps out of bed.

            He’s not sure what’s going on, but he’s gotta find out.

            First he goes to the window on the left wall. He pulls back the drapes, slides it open, and sticks out his head.

            All he can hear are distant birds and all he sees is trees. Just a thin gravel lane going off in both directions then lots and lots of trees. Wherever he is, it’s smack dab in the middle of nowhere.

            Squee sighs, goes back in, and closes the window. He sighs and starts to head for the door when he notices two bundles of clothes folded neatly on the floor. He quickly recognizes them as his and Johnny’s outfits. He grabs his bundle and changes immediately.

            Now, feeling much more comfortable all covered up in his own clothes, he marches through the bedroom door and out into the hall.

            It’s rather plain with a simple carpet and naked walls; no décor of any kind. All of the other doors are closed so he can’t tell where any of them lead.

            He can see a light and hear faint voices down one end of the hall. He steels his nerves and heads straight for them. But he slows down as he nears and peeks around the corner.

            It’s a kitchen. There’s a tall, lean man who appears to be preparing cups of ice water and an older woman in a wheelchair behind him. He hands her a platter with the water on the top which she rests on her lap. As she starts to roll away, Squee realizes she’s missing her right leg from the knee down.

            The woman looks up and notices Squee’s head poking around the corner. He flinches when they make eye contact. She looks mean, with her lined face and hard expression. But it quickly softens when she spots him.

            “Oh, you’re awake,” she smiles. She’s got a nice smile. It surprisingly calms Squee’s nerves and he steps out into the open.

            “Uh um,” he stammers, “wh-where am I?”

            “My house,” she replies plainly.

            “Where’s your house?”

            “Literally in the middle of nowhere.”

            “I was afraid of that,” Squee sighs, “how did I get here?”

            “Johnny carried you through a rainstorm,” she explains, “that was a little over a day ago.”

            “I’ve been asleep for over a day?” he exclaims.

            “Yes. I was beginning to worry,” she nods, “speaking of which, how’s Johnny doing?”

            “He’s got a pretty high fever,” he replies worriedly.

            “Well, take him some water. Try and get him to drink it,” she orders as she hands him the platter. “It should help lower his temperature a bit.”

            “O-okay, thank you,” Squee nods. He starts to walk away when he realizes something and turns back to her. “Oh, uh I’m Squee C, by the way.”

            “C, huh?” she questions, “are you related to Johnny?”

            “Uh um, well he’s my guardian,” he replies, “he took me in a few years ago.”

            “I see,” she mutters thoughtfully.

            Squee cocks his head. “D-do you know him?”

            She smiles sadly. “No. Not anymore.”

            He blinks quizzically then asks, “uh what’s your name?”

            “Oh, it’s Cammie. Cammie Charmer,” she replies.

            “Well, thank you for your help, Cammie,” Squee smiles.

            She smiles back. “You’re welcome.”

             Squee turns away and takes the water to the bedroom. Johnny is still sleeping. It doesn’t look like his fever has gone down at all.

            Squee rests the platter on the nightstand and sighs. He takes one of the cups and drinks it as he stares at Johnny worriedly.

            “What should I do?” he asks. He blinks and looks around, genuinely surprised when no one answers.

            “Oh!” he exclaims. He puts down the glass and rushes out of the room.

            “Cammie?” he calls, slightly louder than intended.

            “Yes?” she questions.

            “Did we have anything with us when we got here?”

            “No. Just the clothes on your backs.”

            “Oh no. Oh no oh no oh no oh no,” Squee whimpers. He starts trembling like crazy. He squeezes himself as he starts panting rapidly.

            “Squee? Are you okay?” Cammie asks as she rolls up to him. “Are you having some kind of anxiety attack?”  
            “I-I-I,” Squee stammers as he struggles to calm down. “I need a phone.”

            “There’s a landline in the living room,” she says as she points across the hall.

            Squee races over and picks up the receiver. “Devi’s cell number. What’s her cell number?”  
            He forces himself to take deep breaths as he dials the number and holds the receiver to his ear.

            “The number you have dialed cannot be reached-.”

            “Damn!” Squee exclaims and slams the receiver down. He pants as he tries to think of something.

            “Zim,” he grunts. “Zim will help.”  
            He moves to dial the number but freezes, receiver in hand and finger hovering over the button. All of his nerves seem to shut down as he remembers something: the feeling he had in the car, when they were being pursued. He sensed something evil and, worst of all, familiar.

            He hangs up, his head low, and sighs miserably.

            “Squee?” Cammie questions.

            “It’s nothing,” he mutters, “thank you for the phone.”

            He leaves without another word and goes back to the bedroom. As he starts to close the door, he notices Johnny sitting up. He’s groaning and pressing his head into his knees, his hands gripping his hair.

            “Nny, you’re awake,” Squee states. Johnny slowly turns his head and looks at him. His face isn’t flushed anymore but he looks like he’s in a lot pain.

            “How are you feeling?” Squee asks as he crawls onto the bed.

            “Like shit,” Johnny replies.  
            “Let me feel,” he demands as he rests his hand on Nny’s cheek. “You don’t feel hot anymore so that’s good.”  
            Johnny only groans in response.

            “Is it a migraine?” Squee asks.

            He nods silently.

            “That seems typical,” he comments as he grabs a glass of water. “You should drink something.”

            Johnny groans as he sits up and takes the cup. He drinks it slowly.

            “Do you remember much of what happened?” Squee asks.

            “Uh,” Johnny grunts and rubs his forehead. “The car crashed, there was a fight. Um, a big storm. I was carrying you and we got lost. And then we ended up at someone’s house.”

“Do you remember who you were fighting?”

            “No. I blacked out a lot of it,” he replies.

            “The lady who owns the house, do you know her?”

            “I think she introduced herself but I don’t remember.”

            “Her name is Cammie Charmer,” Squee says, “she seems really nice.”  
            Squee watches Johnny closely as he sips at his water.

            “She uh she said she…used to know you…”  
            Johnny glances at him, cocking his eyebrow. Then he finishes his drink and lowers the glass. “I don’t know her.”

            “I didn’t think you would,” Squee mutters.

            Johnny groans and rubs his forehead as he shifts around. He puts the cup back on the nightstand and sits on the end of the bed with Squee.

            “So what’s our situation look like?” he asks.

            “It’s not good,” Squee replies solemnly, “I can’t get in contact with Devi and I have no idea where they are or where we are.”

            “I thought about calling Zim. I know they would help us.”  
            “Why don’t you?” Nny questions, “I hate to admit it, but we could use their help.”  
            “I can’t,” Squee sighs miserably, “when we were being chased, I sensed something evil and familiar. I’m not entirely sure what it is, but I don’t wanna risk getting Zim and the others wrapped up in it.”

            “Are you sure it’s as bad as you think it is?”

            “I can’t hear Shmee’s voice.”

            Johnny looks at him with surprise. He’s staring at the floor with a wretched expression. Nny sighs and wraps his arm around him, pulling him into a tight hug.

            “We’ll think of something,” he swears.

            Squee sighs and buries his face into Nny’s stomach.

            “You kinda stink,” he mumbles.

            Johnny snickers. “Yeah, well, I walked through a huge rainstorm.”

            Squee smiles as he moves away. “You should go shower. It’ll probably help you feel better.”  
            “Alright,” Johnny nods and stands up. “Then we’ll think up a plan.”

            Squee nods and follows him to the door. He grabs his clothes as they leave and looks up and down the hallway.

            “Where’s the bathroom?” he asks.

            “Three doors down on the left,” Cammie replies as she wheels up to them. They look at her with surprise. “I’m glad you’re awake. Are you feeling better?”

            “I guess that depends on your definition of ‘better’,” Johnny grunts.

            “Go shower, Nny,” Squee orders as he nudges him down the hall. He nods and walks away.           

            “It’s nice to see he hasn’t changed much,” Cammie comments once he’s gone.

            Squee glances at her and rubs his arm awkwardly.

            “You must be hungry,” she says, “come get something to eat.”

            “Uh, okay,” Squee nods and follows her to the kitchen. He takes a seat at the table and waits patiently while Thomas prepares something. Cammie positions herself across from him.

            “You called him ‘Nny’ earlier,” she states.

            “Oh uh yes,” Squee nods, “it’s his nickname.”  
            “I know. I gave it to him.”

            Squee looks at her with surprise then glances away guiltily. “He…doesn’t remember any of his past before a few years ago. He still has trouble remembering recent things.”

            Cammie nods. “He always had memory issues.”

            “How do-did you know him?”

            “I took him in when he was younger,” she explains, “I was living in Los Angeles at the time. He lived with me for almost a year but we stayed in contact after he left.”

            “He got a job one day and made me his emergency contact. I’m not sure what the job was. A while after I got a call telling me he had been shot. He was dead. But before the day of his burial, his body disappeared without a trace. I haven’t heard of him since. Until now.”

            “Mussolini,” Squee murmurs.

            “What?” Cammie questions.

            “Oh, uh, nothing. Sorry,” he says quickly.

            She looks at him curiously but continues her story. “I always suspected he was alive, but I just assumed it was false hope. I didn’t think he would actually…find me again, accidental or otherwise.”

            “I’m sorry,” Squee says, “I’m sure this must be hard for you. You seem to care for him.”

            “I did. I do. I always have,” Cammie nods, “but I’m happy. He seems to be doing well. And I’m glad he has someone he cares for and who cares for him.”

            Squee smiles gratefully.

            “Now,” she booms as she sits up. “The two of you seem to be in some trouble. How can I help?”

            “Oh uh I-I don’t know if you can help,” Squee admits, “I-I mean you’ve already helped quite a lot just letting us stay here.”

            “Are you hiding from someone?” she suggests.

            “What?”

            “Johnny said he had been in a fight. And he’s always had a tendency to make enemies. Is someone after you?”

            “I-I don’t-I mean no but-I,” Squee stammers before sighing miserably, “maybe.”

            “I see,” Cammie muses, “well don’t worry. I can keep you both safe.”

            “Oh, no! I don’t wanna put you in danger!” he says quickly.

            “Oh, honey, you don’t have to worry about that,” she insists as her face gets very dark. “Danger is afraid of me.”

            Squee blinks with surprise.

            “Okay, lunch is ready,” Thomas announces as he rests two bowls of soup on the tabletop. As Squee and Cammie start to dig in, there’s a sudden knock on the front door.

            “Now who could that possibly be?” Thomas grumbles. But as he walks up to the door and starts to reach for the handle, Squee gets a very bad feeling in his gut.

            “No, don’t!” he exclaims. He rockets off his chair and races across the room.

            The door is suddenly smashed off its hinges. Squee jumps into Thomas and narrowly tackles him out of the way. Thomas slides across the floor but Squee catches himself in a crouch and faces the assailant as they enter the house.

            “Excuse me. I seem to have lost a couple of things at this residence.”

            Fear grips Squee’s chest. His jaw drops and his eyes widen. He wants to scream with so many emotions- surprise, distress, horror- but it gets caught in his throat as the terribly familiar zombie looks at him.

            “Well, well,” Jimmy grins, “long time no see, fag-lit.”


	69. Fanatics Summer Fun Part 3.5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Johnny v. Zombies

Summer Fun Part 3.5

 

            Jimmy saunters into the house, a shit-eating grin on his face. Squee slowly backs up, trembling like a leaf in the wind. He doesn’t have his weapons or any other way of defending himself. But if he did, would he even be able to fight? Would he stand even the slimmest of chances against Jimmy?

            “It’s good to see you again, Squee,” Jimmy purrs, “I really mean that. Especially since last time I saw you, you were unconscious and Johnny completely tore me apart.”

            “You caused the car accident!” Squee exclaims. That’s why it felt so familiar.

            “Surprise!” he sings, “it would’ve worked too if Johnny hadn’t gone completely ape shit. Where is he anyway?”

            Squee clamps his mouth shut. He can’t lie very well, but that doesn’t mean he has to tell the truth.

            “Not gonna talk, huh?” Jimmy scoffs, “that doesn’t matter. I’ll find him eventually. After all, one squeak from you and he’ll come charging to rescue you.”

            He giggles evilly as he reaches for Squee. He can’t move. He remains still, frozen but trembling, as Jimmy’s spindly, scarred fingers stretch towards his face.

            “Excuse me!”

            Jimmy freezes and turns around to Cammie as she rolls onto the scene.

            “Would you mind telling me why you busted open my front door?” she asks with annoyance.

            “Beat it, grandma,” Jimmy snaps, “I have no use for a crippled, old lady.”

            Something dark flashes across Cammie’s eyes. As Jimmy starts to turn back to Squee, she lifts her cane off her lap, flips it around, and hooks the handle around Jimmy’s neck. He gags as she throws him to the floor and cries out with surprise and pain when he bounces off the hardwood.

            Before he can recover, Cammie is on her foot. She plants the bottom of her cane on his neck and supports her entire weight on it. He paws at it as he chokes and struggles to breathe.

            “You should really have more respect for the elderly and disabled,” she says coolly, “I could forgive you for that though. You look like you’ve been through almost as much shit as I have. I could even forgive you for busting my door. I mean it’s just ‘stuff’, right?”

            She kneels down over him, her eyes narrowed angrily. “But I won’t forgive you for threatening this boy.”

            Jimmy tries to say something profane, but the only sounds that can escape his mouth are strangled breaths.

            Cammie scoffs and starts to stand up. Jimmy watches her, still for a second, before swiping at her cane and knocking it out of her hand. She gasps as she loses her balance and falls towards him. But she reacts quickly and sticks her elbow out at his face. He just barely manages to roll out of the way.  

            Cammie hits the floor hard while Jimmy jumps to his feet. She starts to lash at his ankles but he steps back and reaches under his shirt. He pulls out a handgun and points it at her, cocking it menacingly.

            Squee and Thomas both gasp fearfully, but Cammie doesn’t even blink. She just glares at Jimmy with cold eyes, like a basilisk. It throws him off and he hesitates pulling the trigger.

            A hairbrush suddenly hits his right cheek. He exclaims with surprise, stumbling back and dropping his gun.

            Everyone whips around to see the attacker.

            Johnny hobbles down the hall. He’s dressed in his clothes, his hair is wet, and there’s a short towel sitting on his shoulders. He rubs his aching head as he approaches the others.

            “Johnny!” Jimmy booms happily, “there you are! I was wondering when you’d show up.”

            Johnny doesn’t do or say anything in response.

            “So are you gonna come quietly this time?” Jimmy asks, “honestly I wouldn’t mind either way. You took us by surprise last time but this time I came prepar-.”

            Before he can finish, Johnny is on top of him. He plants his hand on his face and smashes the back of the zombie’s head into the wall. Then he grips his hair and throws his face down onto his pointed knee. Jimmy shouts in pain as his head whips back.

            Johnny lets go of his hair and grabs his neck. He slams him back up against the wall and holds him up off his feet. Jimmy gags and chokes as he claws at Johnny’s wrist, but his grip only tightens.

            “How many more are coming?” Johnny asks.

            “Loads,” Jimmy croaks, “you won’t stand a chance. You should just surrender.”

            “Ordinarily I probably would,” Johnny grunts, “unfortunately I kind of owe a favour.”

            One quick squeeze and he completely shatter Jimmy’s neck. His body shudders before going limp in Johnny’s hand. He releases him and lets him fall to the floor. Then he ties his limp wrists together with the towel.

            “Are you okay?” Johnny asks Cammie.

            “Yeah, I’m fine,” she nods as she starts pushing herself up to her knee. Thomas and Squee rush to help but stop when she shouts, “no! Don’t help me. I can do it.”

            And she does quite well. After grabbing her cane, she has no trouble getting up on her foot and back in her wheelchair.

            She sighs as she rubs her stump. “He said there are more coming?”

            “Yeah,” Johnny grunts as he peeks through the doorway before heading to the kitchen.

            “Thomas, go grab my guns,” Cammie orders.

            “Which ones?” he asks.

            “All of them.”  
            Thomas nods and rushes off deeper into the house. Squee watches him leave then looks at Cammie. She’s rolling her shoulders and cleaning off her cane.

            He moans worriedly as he glances at the still-unconscious Jimmy before rushing up to Johnny, who’s perusing Cammie’s kitchen knives.

            “Johnny, wh-what should I do?” he asks.

            “You,” Johnny says as he plants his hand on Squee’s head and pushes him onto his knees. “Are going to stay right here.”

            “B-but,” he stammers, “are you even feeling okay?”

            “I’m fine,” he replies as he examines a large steak knife. “The shower helped. Now stay put, and keep out of line of fire.”

            Squee whimpers fearfully as he sits flat on the floor.

            “I’m borrowing these,” Johnny announces as he marches up to the doorway, steak knife in one hand and a bread knife in the other.

            “That’s fine,” Cammie grunts as Thomas approaches her, carrying a wide assortment of firearms. “Although I can’t guarantee they’ll get much use.”

            “You’re staying out of it too,” Johnny states as he grabs the handlebars of her wheelchair and pushes her into the living room.

            “Hey!” she squeals with surprise. Thomas gasps and chases after her.

            “These guys are here for me,” Johnny snaps, “there’s no need for you to be involved.”

            “B-but they’re here for me too,” Squee points out as he starts to crawl out of the kitchen.

            “That’s why you’re staying hidden,” he barks.

            Squee winces and ducks behind the wall.

            Johnny takes a deep breath and steps through the doorway onto the porch. He doesn’t have to wait long before four large vans drive up the road. They all turn so the backdoors are pointing to the house and spread out around the parking lot.

            The doors fly open and countless zombies burst out. They snarl and snap their jaws like beasts as their eyes focus on Johnny.

            He growls with annoyance as he squeezes the handles of the knives and steps down the ramp.

            The first zombie charges. Johnny sidesteps him and simultaneously drives the steak knife through its skull. He rips it out and the body falls limp to the ground as he spins to face the rest.

            Two more lunge forward. He ducks under their claws and slices open their necks. A few more try to attack but he dodges them and takes them out with a couple quick cuts.

            The other zombies are getting excited. They roar defiantly and charge at once. Johnny holds his ground and meets them head on.

            They collide. Johnny strikes true, each cut, slice, and slash taking out an enemy in one hit. But there’s too many of them.

            One gets past his guard and bites his left forearm. Johnny exclaims in surprise and drops a knife. He quickly drives the blade of the other knife through the zombie’s head and yanks him off. But before he’s able to recover, another bites his right shoulder. He cries out and quickly elbows it in the chest, smashes its ribs. It lets go and stumbles back.

            “There’s too many of them,” Squee laments as he watches through the kitchen window. “He’s getting overwhelmed. I gotta help!”

            He starts to rush for the front door when a gunshot suddenly sounds. Instinctively, he covers his ears and drops to his knees. He looks up to see where it came from.

            Cammie is out of her wheelchair and kneeling on the floor in the doorway. She’s holding a double barrel shotgun. She fires, and the bullets tear apart a zombie’s head.

            Johnny stares at her with surprise. Her eyes are cold and aim is flawless. Each shot takes out at least one enemy. Unfortunately she’s starting to attract everyone’s attention. The zombies’ lose interest in Johnny and start marching straight to the house.

            He growls with annoyance as he grabs the two front most zombies and throws them back.

            “Dammit, Granny!” he barks, “stop shooting!”  
            Cammie scoffs as she tosses aside her empty shotgun and holds out her hand to Thomas. “Uzi.”

            Thomas nods and quickly hands her the firearm. She immediately begins firing at any zombies at the front of the pack, taking them out instantly. And, despite him being in the range of fire, Johnny doesn’t get nicked at all.

            Squee covers his ears to try and supress the horrid sound of gunfire as he scurries back to the kitchen window. Thanks to Cammie’s help, they’ve managed to clear the horde quite a bit, but there’s still too many left. And they’re starting to adapt and are taking cover from the gunfire.

            Squee pants as he scans the parking lot, trying to think of something, anything, to help. Something catches his eye and he looks at one of the vans. The backdoors have all been left open and one of them appears to be holding quite a bundle of stuff.

            “Hey,” Squee muses as he squints and leans forward. He can just barely make out a dark purple bag, a black jacket, a few suitcases, and what appear to be painting canvases.

            “That’s our stuff!” he exclaims.

            An idea suddenly strikes. He races out of the kitchen and towards the doorway, ignoring his own fear of the gunfire.

            Cammie immediately stops shooting as Squee dashes past her. He grabs one of the support beams of the porch, leans out, and takes a deep breath.

            “SHMEE~~!”

            Something shoots out of the back of a van. Before anyone can get a good look at it, two zombie heads suddenly smash open.

            Shmee flips through the air, Squee’s bag hanging off his arm. “Squee, catch!” he shouts as he flings it towards the house. Squee jumps at it and hugs it to his chest.       

            Shmee lands softly on top of Johnny’s head. He crouches, ready to move again as the zombies focus on them.

            “Never thought I’d be happy to see you,” Johnny grunts.

            “Yeah, yeah. Just try not to get eaten,” Shmee warns. He jumps into the thick of the army and starts smashing zombies’ heads in.

            “Is that…a teddy bear?” Cammie asks as she lowers her gun.

            Squee doesn’t answer as he digs through his bag. He finally finds what he’s looking for and pulls out a Startle Bomb. He pushes the button and whips it at the zombies. It lands right in the middle of the group and goes off.

            They screech like pterodactyls and cover their eyes from the blinding flash. Johnny had already started retreating at the sight of the bomb. But instead of going to the house, he’s racing for the van that Shmee jumped out of. 

            He slides to a stop in front of the doors and pants as he quickly looks over all of their stuff. He grabs his black trench coat, which is still loaded with knives, axes, and other assorted sharp things.

            He throws it on then goes into the pockets and pulls out a pair of black gloves, which he also slips on. He reaches into his coat and grabs his two main knives.

            He sighs with relief. “Much better.”

            The flash finally clears. The zombies groan with confusion as they blink multiple times. Johnny cracks his knuckles and punches the side of the van, creating a loud clang. They look at him with surprise and snarl.

            Johnny glares at them, his eyes narrowed and pupils so constricted they’re practically non-existent. The zombies hesitate, feeling true fear for the first time in their undead lives.

            Shmee scurries out of there and to the house. He lands on Squee’s back as he crawls across the porch and through the doorway. Cammie and Thomas remain where they are, watching curiously. Squee and Shmee don’t have to watch. They know what’s about to happen.

            It’s a bloody massacre, bloody being figurative since the zombies don’t actually bleed. Johnny tears through them like paper dolls. He uses his two main knives for the most part but occasionally switches weapons on the fly to suit his needs.

            The zombies try to fight back, but they don’t stand a chance. They can’t even prepare to hit him. As soon as one tries, he cuts off their head or slices through their skull.

            It’s all over in a matter of minutes. Johnny pants as he stands hunched over in the middle of the parking lot, surrounded by dismembered corpses. 

            Cammie and Thomas stare at him in bewilderment. “Jeezus,” Thomas comments.

            Squee is sitting against the wall, hugging Shmee and his bag to his chest. He notices movement out of the corner of his eye and looks at Jimmy. He’s conscious and was able to catch the last act. He doesn’t look happy.

            “Shit,” he snarls and glares at Squee.              

            Squee can’t help but smile with relief as he presses his face into Shmee’s head.

            It’s over. For now.


	70. Fanatics Summer Fun Part 3.6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Squee decides to fight back.

Summer Fun Part 3.6

 

            Johnny lugs their bags from the zombies’ vans into Cammie’s house. Per her instructions, Thomas is quick to help while avoiding Jimmy, who is tied to a post of the porch.

            “Hey, careful with those!” Johnny barks as Thomas brings in Devi’s paintings.

            Once everything is safely inside, Johnny quickly examines it all, grunting with relief. “Well, at least it looks mostly undamaged. Devi should be happy about that.”

            Squee half nods as he digs through his bag.

            “Do you have anything?” Nny asks.

            “Yeah, I think s-.” He stops abruptly as he spots something. He squeaks in fear, his bag falling to the floor as his hands shoot up to his mouth.

            Johnny looks at him with surprise. Squee is just staring at his bag, his eyes wide with horror and despair. Johnny cautiously kneels in front of it and reaches inside.

            He pulls out the little, porcelain statue named Reverend Meat.

            Johnny hisses with shock and whips him across the room. He bounces off the wall but doesn’t shatter, and rolls across the floor until he’s looking at them with his lifeless eyes and goofy smile.

            “It’s real,” Squee mutters as he slowly grabs Shmee and clutches him to his chest. “It’s really happening again.”

            “Squee?” Johnny questions.

            He slowly lowers to his knees, trembling and on the verge of tears. “Why? Why’d they have to come back? Why now? I-I can’t do it again. I’m not ready. I can’t.”

            “Squee, calm down,” Johnny demands as he kneels in front of him and grips his shoulders. “We won last time, remember?”

            “J-just barely,” Squee points out, his voice cracking. “Z-Zoli, she-she SHOT you. What if-what if she does it again and this time you don’t get up?”

            Tears stream down his cheeks as he looks up at Johnny with begging eyes. “Nny, just…please just tell me that it’ll be okay. That we’ll make it through it again. Shmee won’t. Please, Nny.”  
            Despair rises in Johnny’s gut. He quickly squeezes his eyes shut, his grip tightening on Squee’s shoulder as he struggles to supress the feeling. Now is not the time for depression.

            Johnny takes a deep breath as he lifts his head. He pushes up his bangs, revealing the two bullet hole scars on his forehead. He points at the own directly in the middle.

            “See this? It’s the one I got from Zoli, right?” he states, “it’s a scar. That means that I’m still alive; that we won, right?”

            Squee just stares at him silently.

            Johnny lets his bangs drop as he lowers his arms. “I’m not good at the whole ‘motivational speech’ or confidence thing. I can’t sincerely tell you that we’ll make it through this. But I can promise that I won’t let anything bad happen to you. And if my dying is something bad to you, then I won’t let that happen. Okay?”

            Squee sniffles and nods. “Okay.”

            “Good,” Johnny huffs and then tugs on his cheeks. “Now stop looking so fucking miserable.”

            “Ow,” Squee laughs and swats at his hands. “Stop that.”  
            Nny smiles and ruffles his hair. “Go clean yourself.”

            Squee grins as he stands up and trots to the bathroom. Johnny stares after him as he slowly rises.

            Cammie watches him, resting her chin in her hand and smiling. “You know, when Squee told me you took him in, I admit I was a little worried. When I knew you, you weren’t much of a people person, certainly not a parent-type. But I’m glad. You seem to be in much better shape than when I knew you.”

            Johnny suddenly punches the wall hard enough to smash a large hole through to the other side. Blood drips from his scraped knuckles, but he doesn’t seem to notice. Cammie immediately clamps her mouth shut as she and Thomas watch him with shock.

            “That stupid, evil, demon bitch,” he snarls, “I’ll tear out her spine through her mouth for making him cry like that.”

            He takes a slow, deep breath, having got most of it out of his system. He dusts himself off and attempts to compose himself.

            “I may have spoken too soon,” Cammie comments.

            “What?” Johnny questions.

            “Nothing,” she says.

            He faces her and awkwardly scratches his neck. “Um, sorry about your wall.”

            “Oh, it’s fine,” she shrugs.

            He cautiously glances down the hallway. “You’re pretty armed to the teeth, right?”

            “Sure am,” she nods, “got at least one gun in every room. Well, they’re all in the living room now.”

            “So you could handle any zombies that might come around?”

            “Sure. But why?”

            Johnny keeps staring down the hall, more specifically at the bathroom door. “I don’t wanna bring him. I don’t want him getting wrapped up in it again. It might already be too late, but he’ll be safer here.”

            Cammie glances down the hall. “I’d be more than happy to take care of him. But do you really think he’ll want to stay?”

            Johnny doesn’t reply. But the look on his face is enough of an answer.

            Squee comes down the hall, wiping leftover water droplets off his face. He’s visibly much calmer than when he left. He looks at Johnny expectantly.

            “What now?” he asks.

            Johnny looks at the floor guiltily. Cammie awkwardly runs her hand through her hair as she quickly rolls away.

            “What’s wrong?” Squee asks.

            Nny rubs the back of his neck. “Squee, listen. I think it’d be better if you stayed here.”

            “What?” he questions.

            “I’ll go…deal with Zoli and find Devi and Tenna on my own,” he clarifies, “it’ll be safer if you stayed here with Cammie.”

            “B-but why?”

            “I don’t know what we’re could be walking into. I’m sure Zoli’s prepared for us. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

            “But-but you can’t just go alone.”

            “It’s better that way.”

            “But I want to go with you.”

            “I know you do. But I don’t want you to.”

           Squee’s feelings are clearly hurt as his eyes start welling up. Johnny can’t bear to look at him.

            “How-how will I know…if you’re okay?” Squee snivels.

            “You won’t,” Johnny states plainly.

            Squee glares at the floor, his tears falling freely.

            Johnny starts to reach for him. “I’m sorry, Squee.”  
            He turns his head away from Nny’s hand. He quickly retracts it, a pang in his chest.

            Johnny tugs on his jacket and turns away without another word. Squee doesn’t look at him as he weeps silently.

            Johnny unties Jimmy from the post, but keeps his wrists bound, and throws him to his feet. “Let’s go.”

            “What’s wrong?” Jimmy asks mockingly, “you look upset. Have a little tiff?”  
            Johnny grabs him by his hair and shoves him across the parking lot.

            “Ow! Alright, alright. I’m going,” he whines.

            “Do you have a key to one of these vans?” Johnny asks.

            “Yeah, in my front pocket,” Jimmy replies, “just untie me and-.”

            “Forget it. I’m driving,” he snaps as he grabs the keys. “You’ll give me directions.”

            “Fine,” Jimmy groans and clambers into the passenger seat of one of the vans.

            Johnny gets in on the driver’s side. He starts the van and they drive out of Cammie’s yard and away from the house.

            Squee watches the van disappear in the distance through the agape doorway, tears still dripping down his cheeks. He keeps staring down the road, even when Cammie rolls up to him.

            “He just wants to protect you, you know,” she states.

            “I just want to protect him,” Squee mutters.

            “Well, why don’t you?” she asks.

            “What?” he questions.

            “Don’t listen to her, Squee,” Shmee orders, “I hate to say it but I agree with Johnny. It’s better if you don’t get mixed up in this.”

            Squee’s arms tighten around him. “I’m already mixed up in it. I have been for years.”

            His eyes drift over to his bag. Amidst the clutter that’s fallen out of it, he can see his two knives, not to mention all of his bombs.

            “And what’s the point of having weapons and learning fighting skills,” he says as he walks over to them. “-if I don’t use them to protect the people I love. I mean, that’s the very reason I wanted to learn to fight in the first place.”

            “That’s a very noble reason,” Cammie nods approvingly.

            Squee rests Shmee on his head and sticks everything back into his bag, but keeps his knives out. He stares at them as he slings his strap across his chest.

            “So, what are you gonna do?” Shmee asks, “charge into Zoli’s presumed hideout, half-cocked and knives swinging?”

            “Of course not,” Squee replies, “I’m not like Zim or Pepito. I can’t just charge my enemies, weapons blazing. I need…a strategy. I mean, I’m the Battalion’s strategist, right?”

            “Who’s he talking to?” Thomas asks quietly. Cammie immediately shushes him.

            “And I can’t go alone either,” he muses, “Nny was right; Zoli is most likely prepared for us. We’ll probably be walking into a trap. I know I have you with me, but I can’t rely entirely on that. You’re only one bear.”

            “So what’s the plan?” Shmee asks, “gonna call Zim?”

            “No. They’re not a part of this and I don’t want them to be.”

            “Then what about Cammie? She’s pretty tough and she’s already pushed Jimmy around.”  
            Squee glances at her then quickly shakes his head. “No. I don’t wanna put her in anymore danger than she’s already in.”  
            “Then what?” Shmee asks.

            Squee sighs and scratches his head with the handle of one of his knives as he looks around for inspiration. His eyes quickly land on Reverend Meat. He hasn’t moved at all but it still feels like he’s watching him.

            “Hm,” Squee muses. He approaches the seemingly lifeless statue in a crouch and gently taps him with the tip of a blade. He wobbles but doesn’t respond in any way.

            “You know, I haven’t heard anything from the Doughboys or Sickness,” Squee points out, “and it doesn’t look like Reverend Meat can move or talk. Why is that?”  
            Shmee shrugs. “Maybe they’re lying in wait.”

            “Eh,” Squee grunts, unconvinced. “That doesn’t seem like something they’d do. They prefer to make their victims suffer, personally not indirectly.”

            “Reverend Meat was around for a long time but he was mostly kept in Nny’s room,” he muses, “and he somehow got into my bag.”

            He rests his knives on the coffee table and cautiously picks up Reverend Meat. He definitely senses…something.

            “He’s alive, in a manner of speaking,” Squee states, “but why can’t he move?”

            “He might be in a plane of existence you can’t perceive,” Shmee suggests.

            “Yeah, but why? Why has the Nightmare limited him so much?”

            Squee sits on the couch, his eyes never leaving Reverend Meat.

            “Do you think I can communicate with him?” he asks.

            “Uh maybe. He can probably hear you right now,” Shmee replies.

            “Yeah but is there a way for him to talk to me?”

            “You might be able to use your imagination to bring him into a perceivable plane of existence, the same way you do with me,” Shmee explains, “but it’ll only work if you both allow it.”

            Squee lifts Reverend Meat so they’re eye level. “Hey,” he says gently, “you can hear me right? I wanna talk to you. I have something of a proposition. Will you talk with me? Just for a little while?”

            He stares at the inanimate statue for a few seconds when he suddenly blinks. Squee watches in amazement as Reverend Meat folds his arms and looks at him suspiciously.

            “Alright, I don’t have long,” he warns, “so first, I’m gonna ask that you put me down.”  
            “Uh, sure,” Squee squeaks as he rests Reverend Meat on his lap. He takes a second to straighten his suspenders and smooth out his pompadour before cocking an eyebrow up at him.

            “So? What do you want?”

            “Oh um well first I wanna ask you something,” Squee says, “what’s going on with you guys? Why can’t you move on your own? And where are the other three?”

            Reverend Meat sighs. “Okay. Long story short, the Nightmare doesn’t trust us anymore because of our failure last time. So Mr. Fuck, Psycho Doughboy, and Sickness are being held dormant and I was used for basic surveillance only because there was nobody else.”

            “But then how come Zoli is back?”

            “I guess the Nightmare still has faith in her. She was the only one who could physically hurt Nny.”

            “Wow, that’s pretty sad for you guys,” Squee comments, “but it’ll make my proposition seem better.”

            “And that is what?” Reverend Meat asks.

            “You guys come work for me.”

            “What?” he questions.

            “What?” Shmee questions.

            “You, Sickness, and the Doughboys leave the Nightmare and work for me instead,” Squee clarifies, “in return I will give all four of you your own human bodies and relative freedom. You can do whatever you want as long as you come when I call you.”

            Reverend Meat snorts, “our own human bodies? How are you gonna do that?”

            “I’ll create them and place your consciousness and psyches inside them.”  
            “Please. You don’t even believe you can do that,” he scoffs.

            “Yeah, I don’t,” Squee sighs, “but that doesn’t mean I can’t try. I have a theory.”

            “And besides, what have you got to lose? If I can’t do it, then nothing changes. But I can do it, then you’ll get a much better life than anything the Nightmare’s been giving you.”  
            Reverend Meat rolls his neck and groans uncertainly.

            “Can you discuss it with the other three?” Squee suggests.

            “Yeah,” he replies, “I’ll be back.”

            His presence suddenly disappears and he changes back into his motionless statue form. Squee waits patiently.

            “Seriously, who is he talking to?” Thomas asks quietly. Cammie shushes him again.

            Reverend Meat returns a few minutes later. He stretches his arms as he stands up on Squee’s lap.

            “Well?” Squee questions.

            “We’ll give it a shot,” he replies.

            Squee smiles excitedly.

            “They can only come to the this realm for a few seconds without being noticed,” Reverend Meat warns, “so let me know when you’re ready, and we’ll do this.”

            “Okay,” he nods.

            Reverend Meat nods back for leaving this plane of existence. Squee rests the mostly-lifeless statue on the coffee table and starts digging around in his bag.

            “You really think you can do this?” Shmee asks.

            “No,” Squee admits, “but like I told Reverend Meat, I have a theory.”

            “What is it?”

            “I’ve discussed it with Dib a couple times during study hall.”

            “Alright, I’ll be honest, I tune out a lot of your conversations,” Shmee says, “I have no interest in that supernatural mumbo jumbo.”

           Squee chuckles. “Okay. What if the things people create with their imagination via drawings, writings, or other forms of art are all in their own plane of existence that only that person can perceive through their mind? And what if those creations can be pulled into other planes, the same way I do with you or Reverend Meat just now?”

            “That’s your theory?” Shmee questions.

            “Basically,” Squee shrugs.

            “So what are you gonna do? Write out descriptions of these human bodies and try to will them into existence?”

            “Yes, actually,” Squee states as he finally finds an empty notebook and a pen. But not just any pen. It’s the fountain pen he got from Johnny for his thirteenth birthday, the first birthday they shared together.

            “And what if it doesn’t work?” Shmee asks.

            “Then I guess I do the Zim tactic and charge Zoli’s base, half-cocked and weapons blazing,” he replies.

            “Alright,” he shrugs.

            Squee rests his open notebook on his lap, unscrews his pen, and taps the tip on the clean, crisp paper.

            “Now then. How should they look?”


	71. Fanatics Summer Fun Part 3.7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nny, Devi, and Tenna meet up to fight Zoli.

Summer Fun Part 3.7

 

            Devi drives the van down the abandoned dirt road. It’s a tight squeeze between the trees. It doesn’t look like anyone has been down this road in decades.

            “Are we really going the right way?” she asks suspiciously.

            “Yes,” Krik replies impatiently, “it’s just a little farther.”

            After a few more minutes, they notice the road ends at a left turn. Devi takes the turn and they end up in a parking lot leading up to a large building. It looks like a rundown factory. It has crumbling smokestacks, the windows are all boarded up, and the walls are full of cracks.

            “What is this place?” Tenna asks.

            “Some old factory,” Dhillon replies, “it’s been abandoned for years. Zoli decided to use it as her base.”

            “She’s in there?” Devi asks.

            “Yes,” the zombies nod.

            “Good,” she grunts and opens the door. “Let’s go.”

            The girls get out of the van and march around to the back. They start to open the doors when they suddenly hear an engine coming down the road. They turn around and watch with surprise as a similar van drives into the lot. It pulls up beside them and out hops Johnny.

            “Johnny!” they exclaim happily.

            “Hey,” he says, his voice sounding mildly relieved and surprised.          

            “Damn, what are the chances of all of us showing up here at the same time?” Tenna chimes.

            Johnny opens the passenger door of his van and Jimmy tumbles out with his arms tied behind his back.

            “And we both got zombie prisoners!” she adds excitedly. Her and Devi open the back doors of their van and drag out Dhillon and Krik, both of whom have their wrists and ankles bound.

            “Hey, Jimmy,” Krik grunts.

            “Hey, guys,” Jimmy nods.

            “Where’s Squee?” Devi asks.

            “Squee’s…safe,” Johnny mutters as he looks away.

            “That’s a bit of a touchy subject,” Jimmy whispers as gets up on his knees.

            “OW!” he cries when Johnny smashes his fist into the side of his head.

            The girls look at him worriedly.

            “Is he okay? Did something happen?” Devi asks.

            “I said he’s safe,” Johnny snaps as he faces the building. “Let’s just get this over with.”

            The girls glance at each other questionably then just shrug.

            “What do we do with them?” Tenna asks as she nods at the zombies.

            “Just leave them,” Johnny grunts.

            They head up to the rundown building, leaving Jimmy, Krik, and Dhillon tied up on the asphalt.

            The front door looks like it’s boarded up, but when Johnny tries the knob, it swings right open. They stare into the darkness of the mysterious building, unsure of what they might be walking into.

            Johnny growls, draws his knives, and marches in. Devi and Tenna are close behind.

            It’s completely dark, like there’s been no light here for years. They walk blindly, following the wall deeper into the factory.

            “Don’t you guys have your phones or something?” Johnny asks.

            “No, they were in our bags,” Devi replies.

            “I can’t see a fucking thing,” he growls.

            “Do you think the zombies really led us to the right place?” Tenna questions.

            “They all knew it was here, so they must’ve,” Devi points out.

            The wall suddenly disappears from under Johnny’s hand. He exclaims with surprise as he falls through a doorway and grunts in pain when he hits the floor.

            “Johnny? What happened?” Devi asks, “did you fall?”

            “I found a room,” he replies as he stands up.

            “Great. Does it have a light switch?” Tenna asks.

            “Shush,” he demands, “I hear something.”  
            “What?” Devi whispers suspiciously.

            “Not sure,” he replies.

            “I don’t hear anything,” Tenna states.

            “Shush,” Johnny demands again. He starts moving deeper into the room. The girls follow closely. They listen hard for what Johnny might be hearing and they pick up something that might be movement, but it could just be their nerves playing tricks on them.

            Something suddenly brushes by Tenna. She flinches and jumps back, bumping into Devi and Johnny.

            “What’s wrong?” Johnny asks.

            “Something’s in here,” she squeals.

            They freeze and stand in a circle, preparing for an attack. But it’s hard to be fully prepared when they can’t see anything.

            “This darkness is practically suffocating,” Devi comments.

            “It’s not the only thing that’s suffocating,” a voice answers back.

            A pair of hands suddenly grabs her shoulders and yanks her away. She’s tries to scream but it’s cut short when a gag is shoved into her mouth.

            “Devi!” Tenna and Johnny exclaim as they spin around. Another pair of arms suddenly wraps around Tenna’s neck and pulls her away. She doesn’t even have time to scream.

            Johnny freezes and stands in a battle ready stance. He holds his breath and listens closely.

            He senses a presence behind him. He spins around and swings his knife.

            “Whoa, easy,” a male voice laughs, “don’t swing so blindly. You don’t wanna risk hitting one of your girlfriends.”

            “Jimmy!” Johnny barks, recognizing the voice immediately. He swings again but still doesn’t hit him. “How’d you free yourself?”

            “I didn’t,” he replies, “Edgar freed us.”

            Two sets of hands grab him on either side and shove him to the floor, holding him down on his stomach. He tries to shake them off when two more people grab him, one on his legs and the other holding his head. He squirms and tries to overpower them.

            “Hold tight,” a female voice demands. Johnny freezes when he hears it.

            “Watch yourselves,” she warns, “I’m gonna take off his jacket. Jimmy, grab his knives.”

            “My pleasure,” Jimmy replies. He digs his knee on the back of Johnny’s head, pressing his face into the floor, and rips his knives out of his hands.

            He feels another pair of hands grab the collar of his coat and try to slip it off. Johnny growls angrily and flings his head up. Jimmy cries out with surprise as he loses his balance and falls backwards.

            Johnny throws his right arm up, tearing it out of his captor’s grip and punching them right in the chin. Then he attempts to elbow whoever has his jacket. They jump out of the way just in time, so he ends up rolling over and knocking into the captor of his left arm. Whoever had his legs was smart enough to let go right away when he started thrashing, so he doesn’t bother with them.

            He jumps to his feet and stands ready, his fingers twitching.

            “You idiots!” the woman barks, “I told you to hold him tight.”

            “Zoli!” Johnny snaps, “face me head on, instead of hiding in the dark like a cockroach!”

            “Oh, don’t worry, Nny. We’ll be seeing each other very soon,” she purrs.

            Everything’s quiet for a second. Then Johnny senses something behind him. He immediately spins around, swinging his fist. Someone catches his wrist with an iron grip. He reaches into his coat with his other hand and pulls out a machete. He swings it but it’s caught in a parry with another bladed weapon. He’s forced to a standstill by the force of his opponent, but on the plus side they’re in the same predicament.

            A pair of glowing red eyes suddenly appears before him. Johnny goes completely rigid when he meets them. It’s like they’re staring right into his soul.

            Johnny snarls and brings up his knee, aiming to kick his opponent. Something wraps around his ankle, stopping it immediately. It almost feels like rope or maybe…a tentacle.

            Johnny shouts with surprise as it yanks him off his feet. He hits the ground hard, his head bouncing off the floor and machete flying out of his hand. Before he has a chance to get up, someone falls on him, driving their knees into his stomach. He gags and gasps, temporarily winded.

            He’s immediately held down by the other mysterious attackers. They grab his arms, legs, and head and squeeze tight.

            “Now, let’s try this again,” Zoli purrs, her voice inches away from his ears.

            She grabs the lapels of his coat and slips them off his shoulders. She inches each sleeve down his arms. His captors are careful not to let him go while also letting the sleeves slip by. Johnny tries to wrestle out of the grip, but Zoli is just too strong. She’s much stronger than before.

            “There,” Zoli sighs as she pulls his coat out from under him. “Now bind his arms behind his back.”

            She gets up off his stomach. Johnny takes this opportunity to try and force himself free, but stops when she suddenly steps on his throat. He coughs and struggles to breathe.

            “No, no,” she scolds, “stay still please. I don’t wanna have to hurt you. Not yet anyway.”  
            She lifts her foot just enough for her subordinates to roll Johnny onto his stomach, but it never leaves his neck. His arms are forced behind his back and bound together at the wrists. He tries to make them stop, but it’s futile. They’ve got him.

            Once he’s been successfully captured, everyone lets him go. He coughs and groans as he gets up on his knees.

            Bright lights suddenly turn on. He cries out in pain and surprise, immediately shutting his eyes. Once they’ve adjusted, he opens them again and looks around.

            Devi and Tenna aren’t far away. Their wrists are tied behind their backs by twist ties and they have balls of cloth in their mouths. Edgar and Krik are standing behind them, holding them down on their knees.

            The girls are looking at Johnny fearfully…no, they’re looking behind him fearfully.

            Johnny starts to spin around, but when he does a foot suddenly presses down on his chest, forcing him back onto the floor. Johnny glares up at his aggressor, up at Zoli and her shit-eating, fang-filled smile.

            “Hi, Nny,” she sings happily, “long time no see. You look well.”

            Johnny doesn’t reply. Just snarls angrily.

             “I bet you’re really happy to see me,” she grins, “I mean you came all this way.”

            She looks at Devi and Tenna and her smile suddenly disappears. “Now, hold on. We appear to be missing someone. Where is Squee?”  
            “That’s a bit of a sensitive topic right now, Boss,” Jimmy warns while smirking.

            Johnny growls and squirms underneath Zoli’s foot.

            “Oh, dear,” she says with fake sympathy. “Did you two have a fight?”

            Johnny snarls and tries to kick her, but he can’t bend his legs far enough.

            “That’s so sad,” she pouts then laughs. “What happened? Was he too scared to come? Or did you force him to stay away?”  
            He just glares at her as he continues to struggle against her strength.

            “Well, no matter,” Zoli shrugs, “this setback is a bit annoying, but nothing we can’t handle. If he doesn’t come find me, then we’ll just go find him.”

            “I think I know where he is, my Lady,” Jimmy says.

            “Excellent. Then once these three have been dealt with, we’ll go get him,” she declares, “that is, if he isn’t here already.”

            “Edgar,” she calls, “go keep watch outside. Let me know the instant he shows up.”

            Edgar Vargas nods obediently and jogs out of the room. As he leaves, Devi and Tenna start wrestling with their gags even harder. They’re trying to say something.

            Zoli sighs and rolls her eyes. “Go on.”

            Krik and Dhillon remove their gags. They cough as saliva drips from their lips then glare at Zoli.

            “Leave Squee alone, you psycho bitch!” Devi barks.

            “And let us go! Fight us fairly!” Tenna adds.

            “This isn’t about fighting,” Zoli grunts, “this is about successfully getting you all back to my Lord Nightmare.”

            “Ha!” Devi snaps, “you’re just scared we’ll beat you again so you’re playing dirty!”

            “Honey, I’m a being born from pure darkness,” she scoffs, “dirty is the only way I play. And you won’t beat me this time. Not unless you got an equally dirty trick up your sleeve. But I know you don’t, because none of you are that smart.”

            “Bitch!” Tenna snaps.

            “Bite me!” Devi barks.

            Zoli just laughs and looks down at Johnny. He’s still trying to free himself from her iron foot.

            “What’s the matter, Nny? Got nothing to say?” she asks obnoxiously. He just glares at her. “Come on, it’s no fun without banter.”

            She laughs an evil, victorious laugh that echoes off the walls. It almost drains the fight out of Devi, Tenna, and even Johnny. He stops squirming and just stares up at her, panting with exhaustion.

            Zoli’s laugh is cut short when something explodes somewhere in the building. “What?” she questions as she looks at the doorway.

            Another, this time closer. She gets off Johnny and steps a little closer towards the hallway, Jimmy following close behind. Everyone’s quiet as they watch the doorway with anticipation.

            A third explosion, this time really close. Zoli starts to rush out when Edgar appears in the doorway. It looks like he was in a fight. His clothes are all torn and his glasses are missing.

            “My Lady,” he pants, “its-!”

            Before he can finish, a large hand suddenly grabs the top of his head and tears it from his neck. His body is kicked to the floor and his head is whipped across the room and smashes into a wall.

            Everyone watches, stunned and speechless, as five figures enter the room. Four of them are tall and have huge grins on their faces while the fifth is shorter and looks quite passive, if a bit frightened as he squeezes his living teddy bear.

           Squee looks around with slight uncertainty. He clears his throat and gives an awkward wave. “Uh, hi, everyone.”


	72. Fanatics Summer Fun Part 3.8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Squee beats Zoli's minions with his new(ish) friends.

Summer Fun Part 3.8

 

            Thomas drives Cammie’s van down the abandoned, lonely backroad. The branches from the overgrown trees scrape along the sides. He warily scans ahead, trying to find some sort of life.

            “You’re sure it’s this way?” he asks uncertainly. He’s directing the question to the people in the backseats. Squee’s sitting with Shmee in the middle seats, finishing off a bottle of juice. He glances at Thomas before looking at his four new friends, in the very back seat.

            “Oh, yeah,” Reverend Meat nods.

            “Yeah, don’t worry,” Mr. Fuck adds, “we can sense her from a mile away. She’s definitely in this direction.”  
            “Yeah, we’re getting close,” Psycho Doughboy grunts.

            “Not too far now,” Sickness concludes.

            “Look,” Cammie says suddenly as she points down the road. It ends at a left turn. They take the turn into the parking lot of an old, abandoned factory.

            “This is it,” Eff grins.

            “You’re sure?” Thomas questions.

            “Yeah,” Squee grunts, “this is it.”

            Thomas parks the van so it’s facing the entryway. Reverend Meat and the others are quick to hop out, but Squee is a little slower.

            “Thank you for driving us here,” he says, “I’m sorry we imposed so much.”

            “Don’t be,” Cammie smiles, “I just wish I could help more.”  
            “You’ve helped plenty,” Squee insists. He grabs his bag and starts climbing out. “Um okay, I don’t know how long this will take. Be ready to start the van in case we have to make a quick getaway. And uh if we’re not back in- I don’t know- two hours, then just leave. Don’t come looking for us.”

            He hops out and joins his new minions as they examine the factory building.

            “Check it out,” D-boy grunts, “looks like they were expecting you.”

            Edgar is standing by the front door. He’s looking at them with surprise before he starts rushing inside.

            “Don’t let him go!” Squee orders.

            Sickness rushes forward and in a flash of purple, she’s blocking the doorway before Edgar can even step inside. He exclaims with fear and surprise as he jumps back.

            “Where do you think you’re going?” she purrs.

            Reverend Meat, Mr. Fuck, and Psycho Doughboy join her. They chuckle as they surround the nervous Edgar.

            “So what do we do with him?” Eff asks.

            “Um, I don’t know,” Squee admits, “it just seemed like a good idea to not let him rush off.”

            “What’s going on?” Edgar asks, “who are all of you?”

            No one answers him. They just wait for Squee to make a decision.

            “I guess we might as well storm the place,” he shrugs.

            “Wouldn’t a surprise attack work better?” Shmee suggests.

           “We can do both,” Squee declares as he digs around in his bag. “Our goal is to throw Zoli off. Unsettle her. Sorry, Edgar, but you’re gonna have to get a little hurt in order for this to really work.”

            Edgar whimpers slightly as Reverend Meat and the others chuckle darkly.

            “Right,” Squee grunts as he pulls out three Smiley Bombs. “Let’s do this quickly before I lose my nerve.”  
            They throw Edgar through the doorway. He tries to get away but they pull him back. They shove him around, laughing delightfully, while Squee drops his first bomb in the doorway.

            They make their way through the dark building, the flames from Squee’s multiple explosions lighting their way. After he throws his third bomb, Edgar manages to scramble away. He makes it to a doorway leading to a lit room and leans against the doorframe.

            “My Lady,” he pants, “it’s-.”

            Before he can finish, Reverend Meat grabs the top of his head and, with one quick yank, rips it off his neck. He kicks the flailing body to the floor and whips the head across the room, where it smashes into the wall.

            Squee enters the room and takes a quick look around. Johnny, Devi, and Tenna are on their knees with their hands bound behind their backs. Dhillon and Krik and standing near them. Zoli looks like she was on her way to the door, with Jimmy close behind. They’re all staring at Squee with bewilderment.

            He suddenly feels really flustered. No idea how to react, he gives an awkward wave. “Uh, hi, everyone.”

            “Hi!” Reverend Meat, Mr. Fuck, Psycho Doughboy, and Sickness sing cheerfully.

            “Wh-what’s-who- what’s going on?” Zoli stammers.

            “What’s wrong, Zoli? Don’t recognize us?” Reverend Meat taunts.

            “I didn’t think we changed that much,” Sickness comments, “well, maybe the Doughboys.”  
            “Yeah, I-I was trying to go for a more magician aesthetic with them as opposed to the chef thing they had going on before,” Squee says apologetically.

            “I like it,” Eff grins as he straightens jacket. “I feel classy.”

            “You-you’re…all of you,” Zoli stutters, “Lord Nightmare’s minions…”

            “Not anymore,” D-boy grunts.

            “Yeah,” Sickness smirks and pats Squee’s head- much to his discomfort. “We’re Squee’s minions now.”  
            They stand behind Squee, proudly displaying themselves. Reverend Meat is the largest of the four. He’s well over six feet and quite wide, with buff arms and a big belly. He’s wearing a white t-shirt that says ‘EAT’ in big, black letters, dark purple and black checkered overalls, and big black shoes. His hair is a slick black pompadour and his eyes are a light, shiny violet. There are also two small scars coming out of the top of each eye and disappearing under his hair.

            Sickness is the smallest, being a little less than six feet. She’s wearing a simple, grey dress, dark purple and black striped tights, and boots with a grey buckle. Her head is mostly shaved except for five tight, light purple cornrows and two thin pigtails tied in the back of her head. Her eyes are also light, shiny violet.

            The Doughboys look near identical. They’re both wearing black, heeled shoes, black pants, dark purple and black striped jackets with a white collar and cuffs, and dark purple bowties. What little can be seen of their hair from under their hats are both black and their eyes are light, shiny violet. The only differences are their top hats, t-shirts- which can be seen through their open jackets-, and face paint.

            Mr. Fuck’s hat is black with a black brim. The band around the brim is striped black and white and there are white ghouls all around the stack. His t-shirt is striped black and white and there is a box with ‘Z?’ in the middle. His face is painted entirely white with filled-in black circles on his cheeks and black spikes all around his eyes.

            Psycho Doughboy’s hat is also black with a black brim, but the band is entirely black with only a white circle in the middle and stacks of three, square skulls all along the stack. His shirt is entirely white except for the ‘Fuck’ written in black letters. His face is painted white with black swirls on his cheeks and black bumps all around his eyes.

            “I call them my… Night Terrors,” Squee declares.

            “Oh, that’s cool,” Reverend Meat comments.

            “Yeah? I just thought of it,” he admits.

            Zoli trembles with anger as she glares at them. “Traitors!” she shrieks.

            “Ha! That’s rich,” Eff laughs.

            “Who are we betraying, Zoli?” D-boy scoffs.

            “The Nightmare had hidden us away,” Sickness points out, “the only one of us who had a job was Reverend Meat, and it wasn’t even that glamorous.”

            “Yeah. Just spy on Nny,” Reverend Meat adds, “I couldn’t even interact with him. There wasn’t a whole lot I could do on my own.”

            “Still, why join him?” Zoli asks, hatred dripping from her words as she points at Squee.

            “Look at what he gave us!” Eff exclaims.

            “See that?” Reverend Meat asks as he tugs on his arm skin. “That’s real flesh right there. We’re human.”

            “We’re free,” Sickness adds, “how could we turn that down?”

            “Psycho Doughboy, even you?” Zoli questions, “when you were first created, you wanted nothing more than to reunite with our lord.”

            D-boy folds him arms and shrugs. “It wasn’t what I thought it would be. It was just…dark and quiet and…lonely. So I thought I would give this a try.”

            “Say what you will, Zoli,” Reverend Meat grunts, “we all agreed to this.”

            “And he didn’t just give us life,” Sickness adds, “he also gave us powers.”

            “Powers?” Zoli questions.

            Squee clears his throat. “Yes. I wanted them to be able to put up a fair fight against monsters and stuff like that.”

            “Um, Sickness and Reverend Meat were easy. They already had powers. Sickness has super speed and Reverend has super strength,” he explains. Sickness and Reverend Meat beam proudly.

            “The Doughboys didn’t have their own powers so I came up with some on my own. The magician attire wasn’t some baseless decision. It’s part of their whole skill set. I’m kind of proud of it actually,” Squee says bashfully, “they have the power to pull absolutely anything out of their hats, as long as it fits width wise. I had to put some sort of stopper on it. Also, they’re quite acrobatic.”

            Eff snickers excitedly as he takes off his hat. “Can I do it now?”

            “Go nuts,” Squee replies.

            “I intend to,” he smirks.

            He reaches into his hat and pulls a long machete. He puts his hat back on as he beams proudly.       

            “A knife?” D-boy scoffs, wiping Eff’s smile from his face. “What, are you gonna start dressing like Nny too?”

            “Knives are good weapons,” Eff points out, “what would you rather use?”

            “Something blunt,” he replies as he takes off his hat. He reaches in and pulls out sledgehammer.

            “Knives kill faster,” Eff argues.

            “Hammers are more fun,” D-boy retorts.

            They argue pettily about the best way to kill someone while everyone watches, either with bewilderment- Nny, Devi, Tenna-, anger- Zoli and her zombies-, or slight annoyance- Squee, Shmee, Reverend Meat, Sickness.

            Finally Krik and Dhillon snap and rush forward, fists raised.

            “We’ll pound ya!” Krik barks.

            “Shut up!” the Doughboys snap and attack swiftly. Eff slices open Krik while D-boy smashes Dhillon’s head. The zombies fall to the floor and the Doughboys keep beating on them, cutting them up and busting them to pieces.

            “Well, at least they’re having fun,” Sickness shrugs.

            Zoli snarls with anger and snaps her fingers. “Jimmy! I don’t care about the repercussions. I want Squee dead!”

            “No!” Devi, Tenna, and Johnny exclaim.

            “My pleasure,” Jimmy purrs and brandishes Nny’s knives. He smirks and races forward.

            The Doughboys stop beating on Krik and Dhillon and spin around to try and meet Jimmy. But they’re too slow and he races right by them.

            Sickness and Reverend Meat prepare to fight but stop when Squee starts moving. Shmee jumps out of his arms and onto his head in a crouch while Squee grabs his knives from his bag and steps forward. Jimmy’s grin grows excitedly and he swings both blades.

            Squee easily and quickly ducks beneath them. “Those!” Keeping his head low, he runs underneath Jimmy’s hands and pops up between his arms. “Aren’t!” He brings up his knives and slices through Jimmy’s biceps. “Yours!”

            Jimmy screams in pain as his arms flop to the floor. Shmee hops up and roundhouse kicks him in the face. He flies back and skids across the ground.

            “That was easier than I thought it would be,” Squee comments as he looks at his knives.

            “Well, they are starting to get really soft,” Shmee points out.

            “What-what’s happening?” Jimmy asks fearfully as he looks at his arm stumps. “I-I’m not regenerating.”

            “Ew,” D-boy laughs as he pokes Dhillon’s melting body. “Gooey.”

            “What’s happening to my zombies?!” Zoli shrieks.

            “Is anyone else feeling hot?” Sickness asks jokingly as she fans herself.

           “Half the building is on fire,” Squee points out, “that’s what usually happens after explosions. It’s been getting really hot in here. And corpses don’t do well with heat.”

            “Your zombies may be able to regenerate, but they’re still just corpses,” he concludes, “and now they’re decomposing. At a rather alarming rate.”  
            Jimmy tries to get up on his knees, but his body can’t hold him up anymore. He falls onto his stomach and whimpers with despair as he melts like ice into a puddle of discoloured goo and cracked bones.

            “Gross,” Squee comments.

            Zoli watches in horror as her zombie generals disappear before her eyes. She snarls angrily and sticks out her hand. A large scythe appears out of black smoke. She grips it and charges forward.

            “I’ll kill you myself!” she barks. She lifts her scythe high and brings the blade down towards Squee’s head. He sidesteps it and it smashes a small crater into the stone floor. Zoli swings up at him. Squee skips backwards. The blade whizzes by his nose.

            Squee and Zoli glare at each other. She starts to rush him again but is forced to stop when the Night Terrors suddenly surround her in a square. She pants and snarls at them.

            “You know, I always hated you, Zoli,” Eff grunts.

            “You thought you were so above everyone,” D-boy adds.

            “Little Miss Perfect,” Sickness scoffs.

            “Nightmare’s pet,” Reverend Meat spits.

            “But now look at you,” Eff smirks, “reduced to the most basic of human emotions.”

            “You’ve met your match and it’s a human kid,” D-boy snorts.

            “You stand no chance now that you’ve let yourself go,” Sickness laughs.

            “Give in to the anger, Zoli,” Reverend Meat purrs, “doesn’t it feel good?”

            “Shut up!” Zoli shrieks and swings her scythe in a circle. They easily duck underneath it.

            As Zoli steadies her scythe, she sees Squee races to Johnny, Devi, and Tenna. She growls and pulls out a handgun from her jacket.

            “Oh no you don’t!” she barks and fires.

            Everything seems to go in slow motion. The Night Terrors move to tackle Zoli. Squee spins around as the bullet flies right for him. Shmee tries to shove him to the floor. Johnny tries to get to his feet as he wrestles with his restraints.

            Squee squeezes his eyes closed and drops to his knees. The bullet whizzes through his hair, narrowly missing his scalp, and connects with the far wall.

            He’s frozen, kneeling on the floor. He pants as he stares at nothing, in total shock. Shmee scrambles to his head and starts digging around in his hair, making sure he didn’t get hurt.

            The Night Terrors successfully tackle Zoli. They hold her down and force the gun out of her hands.

            “Squee?” Johnny questions.

            Squee blinks a couple times and takes a shuddery breath. He clambers to his feet and hurries to Johnny, Devi, and Tenna.

            “We got her, Squee,” Reverend Meat says as they keep Zoli on the floor. She writhes underneath them but can’t get loose. “What now?”

            “Just don’t let her go,” he replies as he cuts the restraints off Johnny, Devi, and Tenna.

            A shiver suddenly runs up his spine. He frantically turns to the Night Terrors. “Guys!” he exclaims, but they’re way ahead of him because they sensed it too.

            They quickly jump away from Zoli just as an array of tentacles, tendrils, and an overall storm of nightmares explodes from her back. Everyone watches in horror and bewilderment as they thrash around angrily. Zoli stands up, and it all gets sucked back up into her body. She pants as she looks up, her eyes glowing a fiery red.

            She glares right at Squee. He glares back before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

            “We’re done here.”

            “What?” the Night Terrors question simultaneously.

            “Zoli isn’t ours to fight,” Squee says as he puts his knives back in his bag. “We’ve accomplished what we came here to do.”

            “Which was to piss off Zoli, right?” Eff questions.

            “Then we successfully completed our first tasks as humans,” Sickness points out.

            “Good job, team,” D-boy grunts.

            “Reverend, make us a direct way to the outside, please,” Squee demands.

            “On it,” Reverend Meat says as he trots to the wall opposite the doorway.

            “You think I’m just gonna let you escape?” Zoli questions, “just like that?”  
            Squee just ignores her and looks at Johnny. Their eyes meet. They say nothing.

            Reverend Meat punches a large hole into the stone wall. It leads directly outside.

            “I’ve made a hole!” he announces.

            “Thank you,” Squee replies, “Devi, Tenna, come on.”

            “What? But what about Zoli?” Devi questions.

            “She’s not yours to fight either,” he points out as he heads to the hole. “It’ll be better this way. But we gotta hurry before the fire spreads into here.”

            They watch him with confusion for a second before looking at Johnny. He’s focused entirely on Zoli, watching her carefully. She doesn’t even notice as she glares at Squee.

            Devi and Tenna look at each other nervously before hesitantly following Squee and the Night Terrors outside.

           “Not so fast!” Zoli barks as she reaches into her jacket. But before she can pull out a weapon, Johnny rushes her. He slams his fist into her stomach and sends her flying across the room. She skids across the floor on her back and gags in pain.

            Johnny exhales and glances at the hole to make sure everyone’s out. He stretches his arms and saunters over to his knives, which is sitting in a pile of goo that used to be Jimmy’s arms.

            “Three years. Has it really been that long?” he asks, “I’ve never had a good grasp on time but it really doesn’t feel like it’s been that long. Squee’s grown a lot, hasn’t he? I’ve been present for the whole thing, and yet here I was trying to hold him back from something dangerous. I guess that makes me an idiot, doesn’t it?”

            He picks up his knives and tosses them up and down. “Or maybe that just makes me a parent.”

            Zoli doesn’t say anything. She just snarls as she sits up, rubbing her stomach.

            Johnny laughs with amusement as he trots over to his coat, which is bundled up in a corner. “Wow, look at you! You’re absolutely steaming! Squee really did piss you off. And look at me! I’m so giddy! I just can’t help myself. I really am proud of that kid.”

            He slips his jacket on along with a fresh pair of gloves.

            Zoli stands up and glares at him.

            “What’s wrong, Zoli? Nothing to say?” he taunts, “come on! It’s not fun without banter.”

            Zoli snarls furiously and grabs her scythe.

            “Aw, well,” Johnny grunts and lifts his knives. “Fuck the banter.”

            They charge and the real battle begins.


	73. Fanatics Summer Fun Part 3.9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final battle.

Summer Fun Part 3.9

 

            Zoli swings her scythe. Johnny ducks and charges her in a crouched position, aiming to cut her shins. She jumps back and brings her blade down towards him. He rolls out of the way and slides across the floor on his knees.

            She sticks to him like glue, not letting him out of range. She swings down at him. He rolls out of the way again and kicks at her ankles, knocking her onto her back.

            Johnny jumps to his feet, bites down on the handle of one of his knives, and, with his now free hand, grabs a throwing knife from his jacket. He whips it at Zoli’s face.

            She rolls out of the way, the knife smashing into the floor just inches beside her head. She tries to scramble to her feet but gets pulled back by something weighing down her scythe.

            Johnny’s standing on it. He keeps his foot firmly planted on the handle as he throws another knife. She’s forced to let it go to dodge. He kicks it away and sends it sliding out into the hall, that is slowly but steadily filling with fire.

            Zoli growls angrily and pulls a katana out of her coat. She charges Johnny and swings. He blocks with his knives and they trap each other in a parry.

            They hold each in that position for a few seconds, snarling as their blades scrape together, until Zoli starts pushing Johnny back. She’s stronger than before. He struggles to hold her back, his arms starting to tremble.

            Zoli grins arrogantly. Johnny growls with annoyance.

            He suddenly pulls his knives back and drops to his knees. Zoli’s sword slices through his hair as she loses her balance and falls forward, right towards Johnny. He lifts his knives and stabs them both in her stomach.

            She gasps in pain and leans against him, discoloured blood dripping from around his blades. But before he has a chance to pull them out, Zoli twirls her katana and stabs him in his left shoulder, the blade penetrating straight through his armpit. He exclaims in pain.

            They remain still for a few seconds, both of them panting heavily as blood drips down the blades. Finally, Johnny grits his teeth and shoves Zoli away, not bothering to remove his knives. Her hand slips off her katana as she stumbles back and falls to her knees.

            Johnny grips her sword and very slowly pulls it out of his shoulder. He’s carefully not to move it around too much so as not to cause more damage. Zoli does the same with his knives. They both toss the weapons to the side and glare at each other as they pant.

            Zoli trembles as she forces herself to her feet, blood practically cascading from her wounds. She reaches into her coat and pulls out a large hunting knife before charging Johnny with a shout.

            Johnny grabs a machete with his good arm and barely blocks her in time.

            They start swinging relentlessly at each other, trying to cause as much damage to the other as they can before one of them bleeds out or the room catches fire. Whichever comes first.

            But the injuries are small, just insignificant cuts that don’t mean nothing compared to their previous wounds. They both know this and they also know one of them needs to make a big move before the other does.

            Johnny reacts first. He dodges Zoli’s latest attack and hooks her arm with his injured arm. Blood spurts from wound. He ignores the pain and swings at her face with his machete.

            She can’t dodge effectively. All she can do is bend her head back and try to make the damage as minor as possible.

            Johnny slices right across her neck, just under her chin. Blood sprays out. Zoli shouts in pain. Johnny lets go of her arm and she stumbles back, gripping her wound. Blood drips from between her fingers.

            Johnny approaches her. He lifts his knife and aims for her head, ready to end this.

            He hears a familiar, metallic click. His eyes widen with surprise and he tries to jump back as Zoli whips out another handgun from her coat. She fires.

            The bullet hits Johnny right in his stomach. He gasps with pain and falls to his knees, his arms wrapped his belly.

            Zoli pants and lowers her gun. “I can’t...believe…you fell for…the same trick…twice.”

            She steps around him and starts heading for the hole in the wall as the Nightmare’s appendages burst from her back. But before she can get too far, Johnny’s hand suddenly grips her ankle.

            “I can’t believe you thought a bullet in my gut would slow me down,” he growls, “when one in my head couldn’t even kill me.”

            He yanks her leg, knocking her onto her stomach. Then, with a shout of exertion, he throws her across the room at the opposite wall. She hits it hard and immediately exclaims in pain from the burning stone. She tries to move away, but Johnny is on her before she can. He grips her face with his right hand, yanks her to her feet, and slams her up against the wall. Her screams of pain are muffled by his palm as the stone scalds her back.

            His left hand squeezes his machete as he slowly lifts it, his arm trembling terribly. “If I’m not mistaken, I believe I gave you some parting words last time we fought,” he says, “you didn’t listen to them very well, so I’m gonna paraphrase them a bit.”

            He lowers his right hand down to her neck and points the blade of his machete between her eyes.

            “Nobody fucks with the C’s.”

            He drives the blade straight through her skull and into the wall. She shrieks with agony as the stone starts falling apart behind her.

            Johnny stumbles back. The fire has finally got up to them. He’s got to get out of here.

            He spins around and races for the hole, picking up his knives along the way, as the room starts collapsing around him.

            Meanwhile, outside, everyone is hanging around Cammie’s van as they watch the factory building burn. Cammie is in her wheelchair next to Thomas, Squee is sitting on the ground, leaning against the back tire of the van with Shmee in his lap, the Night Terrors are surrounding him, and Devi and Tenna are watching them suspiciously.

            “So you really just created their bodies out of thin air?” Tenna questions.

            “Basically,” Squee replies, “but when you say it like that it sounds impossible.”

            “I was there,” Cammie says, “they literally popped out of thin air.”

            “Why did you have to make her look so much like me?” Devi asks as she eyes Sickness.

            “I wanted to imitate their original forms as much as possible, except for the Doughboys,” Squee replies, “you designed Sickness to look like you, so really you made her look so much like you. Sorry.”

            “I don’t think she looks much like you, Devi,” Eff comments, “her hair is way cooler.”

            “Thanks, Eff,” Sickness chimes.

            Devi glowers angrily.

            “You should be more appreciative,” Cammie states, “they did just save your life.”

            “And who are you, exactly?” Devi demands.

            “She’s our granny,” Squee smiles.

            Cammie smiles back.

            “Whose?” Tenna questions.

            “Mine and Nny’s,” Squee replies.

            “Since when?”

            “I guess…a few hours ago.”

            “Well, actually I’ve been Nny’s granny since he was eighteen, he just doesn’t know it,” Cammie shrugs.

            “Your family tree is confusing,” Devi comments.

            Everyone jumps with surprise as the building starts collapsing in on itself. It’s all quickly consumed with black smoke and somewhere amidst the clatter, a shriek is heard.

            “Someone’s coming,” Reverend Meat says.

            Johnny emerges, stumbling from the smoke, his left arm hanging limp at his side and his right arm wrapped around his stomach. He collapses to his knees a few feet from the van.

            Squee clambers to his feet and races to him. “Nny!”

            He falls to his knees before him and wraps his arms around his neck, hugging him tight. Johnny hugs him back with his right arm.

            “You’re hurt,” Squee states as he lets go.

            “Oh, yeah,” Nny nods, grunting with pain.

            “Nny, I’m sorry I didn’t listen,” he says, “I just-.”

            “No, I’m sorry,” Johnny interrupts him. “I shouldn’t have tried to hold you back. The truth is I know you can handle any shit that comes your way. I know you can take care of yourself. But I can’t help but worry about you. It’s the only guardian thing I’m good at.”

            Squee smiles warmly and rests his head against Nny’s chest. Nny rests his chin on Squee’s head.

            “You’re bleeding an awful lot,” Cammie comments as she rolls over.

            “Granny Obvious,” Johnny grunts.

            “Thomas, help him to the van so I can bandage him up,” she orders.

            “No, no no,” he says quickly as Thomas tries to grab him. “Don’t touch me.”  
            “Don’t worry, we got it,” Devi says as she and Tenna walk over.

            “You two aren’t much better,” Johnny scowls as they gently grab his arms.

            “Oh shut up, you big baby,” Devi snaps as they pull him to his feet and lead him to the van. They sit him on the floor in the back, his legs hanging out of the backdoor.

            “I’ll fix you up better when we get home,” Cammie says as she grabs a first aid kit from the glove compartment. “But we gotta bind your wounds before they bleed out.”

            “Take off your shirt,” she orders as she rolls up to him.

            “I’ll help,” Squee says as he sits beside him. Johnny groans in pain as they take off his jacket and shirt. Cammie doesn’t even bat an eye at his multitude of scars.

            “What happened?” she asks as she wipes away the blood on his stomach.

            “I was stabbed through the shoulder and shot in the stomach,” Johnny replies.

            “Removing the bullet’s gonna be pain,” Cammie comments, “pun intended.”

            “But hey, you won!” Tenna exclaims excitedly then asks nervously, “right?”

            “Yeah,” Johnny nods, “I beat her.”

            “So it’s over,” Devi sighs with relief.

            “For now,” D-boy adds.

            They look at him with surprise.

            “What? You think the Nightmare isn’t gonna try a third time?” he scoffs.

            “He’s right,” Eff nods, “the Nightmare’s gonna keep coming for you guys. Even more so now after what you did, Squee.”

            “Oh, yeah. It’s gonna be real pissed at you, kid,” Reverend Meat agrees.

            “Who knows when it will strike again, but you can bet that it will,” Sickness concludes.

            Squee stares at the ground nervously.

            “Let it come,” Johnny grunts as he pats Squee’s head. “We’ll just beat it again. Like a cockroach.”

            He looks at him with surprise then smiles, “right.”

            Devi and Tenna grin and nod affirmatively.

            “Alright, that’ll do for now,” Cammie declares as she finishes wrapping gauze around Nny’s wounds. “Everyone get in. Let’s get out of here.”

            Everybody climbs into the van- Devi, Tenna, Nny, and Squee in the very backseat, the Night Terrors in the middle seat, Thomas and Cammie in the front seat. They drive home silently, exhaustion taking them over after the events of the long day.

            The next day Devi, Tenna, Johnny, and Squee attend the art exhibit in Los Angeles with Cammie accompanying them. Devi was still able to display her pieces, which are thankfully undamaged, and they didn’t want to let the Nightmare ruin their whole trip.

            Devi stands proudly by her paintings. Tenna, Cammie, Johnny, and Squee hang around nearby, admiring some of pieces but for the most part not moving around too much.

            Squee spends a lot of time on his cellphone answering worried texts from his friends. He doesn’t have service at Cammie’s place so he’s just now receiving them all.

            “Who would’ve thought answering texts would be so exhausting,” Squee sighs as he finally finishes. “Although, I’m kind of happy they were worried about me.”

            “Your friends must be very loyal,” Cammie comments.

            “Yeah,” he smiles.

            “Hey,” Devi says as she walks over. “Any word yet?”

            “Oh, uh no,” Squee says as he glances at his phone. “Eff and the others haven’t gotten back to me yet.”

            “Oh,” she grunts with disappointment.

            Squee had sent his Night Terrors on a mission to find Devi’s car. It’s probably damaged beyond repair but she doesn’t want to just leave it.

            “Who cares about your old car,” Cammie scoffs, “just take one of mine. I have more than I know what to do with.”

            “You really enjoy flaunting your wealth,” Johnny grunts distastefully.

            “Flaunting it to who? I live in the middle of nowhere,” she argues.

             She notices a vending machine across the hall and tugs on Johnny’s shirt. “Hey, roll me over there. I want something to drink.”

            “Roll yourself,” he snaps, “or better yet, get a prosthetic leg. Your right leg’s perfectly healthy.”

            “I learnt how to walk over fifty years ago, I’m not gonna learn it again,” she argues.

            “The wheelchair is so overly excessive though,” he retorts, “you really have no need for it.”

            “Hey!” she barks, “when you lose your leg, you can adapt however you want. This is my way.”

            “What do you mean ‘when’?”

            “Because if you keep harping on me, I’ll chop your leg off. Now roll me to the vending machine.”

            Johnny obeys and pushes her across the hall- with one arm since he can’t lift his left arm too well yet- but they keep arguing along the way.

            “Hey, shouldn’t you help them get along better?” Devi asks Squee.

            “What do you mean?” he questions, “they get along just fine.”

          He smiles as he watches them. “I’ve never seen Nny so relaxed around someone else before.”

            It’s true. Though Johnny himself might not know it, he’s already accepted Cammie as one of his own.

            At the end of the week, when the exhibits over, Devi and Tenna get ready to head back home. Devi chose to borrow one of Cammie’s cars. The Night Terrors did find her car and it is completely unfixable, but she still didn’t want to take one of Cammie’s vehicles, no matter how many times she insisted.

            Speaking of the Night Terrors, they headed back to the city earlier in the week, after they accomplished their mission. They told Squee to summon them whenever he needs them and took off on foot.

            While Devi and Tenna are busy packing everything into the back of the car, Johnny and Squee are sitting on Cammie’s porch swing, staring at the trees contently.

            “I love it out here,” Squee sighs, “it’s so quiet and tranquil. Like we’re in our own little world.”

            “Yeah,” Johnny nods.

            Devi honks the horn, breaking their comfortable trance. “We’re all packed! Let’s get going!”

            Johnny glowers at her with annoyance as he and Squee make no motion to leave.

            “You can stay a little longer if you want,” Cammie suggests as she rolls up to them.

            “Really?” Squee questions.

            “Sure,” she nods, “we can make up another bedroom. You’re on summer vacation, aren’t you?”

            Nny and Squee look at each other with intrigue.


	74. Fanatics 37

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kids go to an amusement park.

The Amusement Park Challenge

 

            “You’re staying away longer?” Pepito cries.

            “That’s literally what he just said. Why are you repeating it?” Johnny asks with annoyance.

            Pepito ignores him and focuses on Squee as he packs up Nugget’s things. “But why?”

            “I’m sorry, Pepito,” Squee smiles apologetically, “but it’d be really nice to have an actual vacation. Don’t worry, though, I’ll be back in time for registration.”

            “But that’s like three days before Skool starts,” he complains, “and just coming here to pick up your cat is like beyond cruel.”

            “Well we can’t just leave her here for the rest of the summer,” Squee points out as he picks up Nugget. “She’ll like it at Granny’s.”

            “Who even is this ‘Granny’?” Pepito asks suspiciously.

            “It’s me,” Cammie says as she rolls through his front door. Before Pepito even has a chance to say anything, she hooks his chin with her cane and forces him to turn his head back and forth. “So you’re Squee’s boyfriend. Hm, you’re awfully whiny. And clingy from Nny told me. And you look like you’re trying too hard to be ‘cool’. I don’t think I like you.”

            Johnny snickers with amusement.

            Pepito pulls his head back and rubs his neck, looking incredibly offended.

             “Oh, I like you though,” Cammie chimes when she spots Nugget. Squee hands her to her and they immediately start bonding.

            Pepito glowers with annoyance. “Whose granny is she?”

            “Mine and Nny’s,” Squee replies.

            “That-that doesn’t make sense,” he whines.

            “He’s much too whiny for me,” Cammie comments, “but if you like him, Squee, then I suppose I’ll stay out of it.”

            “Thank you,” Squee says gratefully, “now can you guys wait outside please?”

            Johnny and Cammie obey and step outside, closing the door behind them.

            Squee faces Pepito and smiles apologetically. He just pouts childishly.

            “I don’t have cell service at Granny’s. But I promise I’ll call you every night on her phone,” Squee swears, “so please don’t be mad.”

            Pepito’s expression softens and he sighs. “Alright. But it’ll be boring around here without you.”

            “Oh, come on,” Squee scoffs, “you gotta practice with your band and I’m sure Zim has all kinds of things planned. You won’t even have time to think about me.”

            “That’s not true,” Pepito smiles softly, “I think about you more than I think about anything else.”

            Squee smiles back. They give each other a hug and kiss that’s just too quick for Pepito’s liking and Squee backs away.

            “I should get going,” he sighs.

            “Okay,” Pepito sighs, “call me later.”

            “Promise,” Squee smiles before leaving.

            Pepito stares at the door for a second before sighing miserably.

           

            Pepito sighs miserably as he stares at his phone. Maddie, Carmen, and Colton watch him with a mix of worry and annoyance.

            “Jeez, you’d think he’d lost his puppy or something,” Colton comments.

          “Pepito, come on,” Carmen orders, “we’re supposed to be working on our own song today.”

            “Yeah, yeah, I know,” Pepito nods. He grabs his guitar and starts to get ready to play, but stops and sighs again. “I just miss him so much.”

            They groan, sick of hearing the same phrase over and over again.

            “Didn’t you just talk to him this morning?” Maddie asks.

            “But it’s not the same,” Pepito whines and falls back on Carmen’s bed.

            “Okay, we’re not getting anything done today,” Carmen declares as she gets off her drum stool. “Let’s go for a walk.”

            The others nod with agreement. They leave their instruments in her bedroom and head out.

            They walk aimlessly and mostly silently. There’s a lot going on in the city- street performers, art fairs, farmers markets. But Pepito shows no interest in any of them. He keeps his eyes pinned to his phone, like he’s scared he’s going to miss something.

            Maddie, Carmen, and Colton watch him with irritation and sigh. He’s of no use to them like this.

            Colton suddenly spots a poster taped to a nearby wall. He gasps with surprise and rushes up to it. “No way!”

            “What is it?” Carmen asks.

            “The Dark Thrills Carnival is in town!” he exclaims excitedly as he points at the poster.

            “The what?” Maddie questions.

            “It’s this travelling fair with these like really crazy rides,” Colton explains, “it’s banned in like fifteen states.”

          “Yeah, I’ve heard of them,” Carmen says, “their rides have put people in the hospital before.”

            “We have to go tonight!” Colton demands, “Pepito, you should invite Zim and your other friends.”

            “Huh?” Pepito questions, just now tuning into the conversation. “Oh, um sure. I’ll ask if he wants to go.”

            “I’m so excited,” Colton giggles with glee. Carmen grins excitedly while Maddie just awkwardly plays with her hair. But Pepito stays focused on his phone and not because he’s waiting for Zim’s response.

            Later that evening, Zim, Dib, Gaz, Pepito, Maddie, Carmen, and Colton enter the Dark Thrills Carnival. It’s absolutely bustling, mostly with teens like them, and lit up with multi-coloured lights. There are hundreds of different games and activities, all with horror themes. And the rides are large, intimidating machines that toss you, spin you, throw you, plummet you, or even all four at once. It is not a safe place for children.

            “So this is some sort of dark carnival,” Dib muses.

            “Yeah,” Colton chimes, “I really wanted to go here last time it was in town but I wasn’t old enough.”

            “What is the point? Is it some sort of training exercise?” Zim asks.

            “No, it’s just for fun,” he replies.

            “These rides have literally put people in the hospital before, maybe even killed them,” Maddie points out, “who would find that fun?”  
            “Okay, maybe fun isn’t the right word,” Colton admits.

            “It’s about the challenge,” Carmen states.

            “Challenge, you say?” Zim questions, intrigued.

            “Yeah. Are you brave enough to ride these behemoths?” she smirks.

            “Or is your stomach strong enough?” Dib groans as he rubs his belly. “I feel sick just looking at these things.”

            “Eh, either way,” Carmen shrugs

            “Zim accepts!” Zim exclaims.

            “What?” she questions.

            “Zim will take your challenge and ride every ride!” he clarifies as he points into the park dramatically.

            “I was just kidding,” Carmen points out.

            “Irrelevant. A challenge is a challenge,” Zim states, “who will join me?”

            Carmen chuckles and nods. “Yeah, alright. I’ll ride every ride.”  
            “Me too!” Colton cheers.

            “Uh, sure. I’ll give it a shot,” Dib shrugs.

            “Excellent,” Zim booms and looks at Pepito. “Pepito?”

            “Huh?” he questions as he looks up from his phone.

            “Ugh, you’re so focused on that thing,” Zim groans, “you know what? You’re gonna take part in the challenge and-.”

            “Hey!” Pepito cries as Zim yanks his cellphone out of his hand and drops it in his PAK.

            “You can have it back at the end of the night,” Zim declares.

            “But what if Squee calls?” Pepito asks worriedly.

            “You can call him back.”

            “This will be good for you, Pepito,” Carmen points out, “you can’t just spend the rest of the summer fixated on Squee.”

            Pepito huffs and pouts. “Fine. I’ll do your stupid challenge.”

            “Good,” Zim nods approvingly and looks at Gaz and Maddie. “What about you two?”

            “Uh, no thanks. I don’t like scary rides,” Maddie replies.

            “Yeah, me neither,” Gaz grunts as she takes Maddie’s shoulder and leads her away. “Come on, Maddie. We’ll check out the games.”

            “Fine. We don’t need them,” Zim huffs, “everyone ready?”

            “Wait, we need rules first,” Carmen points out.

            “Like what?” Dib asks.

            “How about if you wuss out or throw up, you lose,” she suggests.

            “Sounds good,” Colton nods.

            “Alright,” Zim booms, “let the amusement park challenge begin!”

            The kids take off towards the rides. The first one they go on is a giant, round container that spins at high speed. They’re pushed up against the wall from the force. They all find it quite fun and laugh with amusement as they stumble out.

            “That was just like spaceship training back at the academy,” Zim says with nostalgia.

            “Anyone feeling queasy yet?” Carmen asks.

            “Please,” Dib scoffs, “we’re just getting started.”

            “Just a warning, this is like the kiddie ride of this carnival,” Colton warns.

            “Alright,” Pepito groans and stretches before smirking excitedly. “Bring it on.”

            The next ride they go on is a kind of slingshot. One person sits inside a large ball and they’re flung into the sky and then spin around as they plummet to the ground. Each of them is incredibly dizzy after their turn but they’re enjoying themselves.

            The next couple rides get a little harder to handle. One they sit in a giant cup that spins as it moves up and down a pole. The second they stand, strapped in single-person container as it spins and goes around in a circle.

            Dib stumbles through the door, his head spinning and a bad feeling in his stomach. “Why do all these rides involve spinning?”

            “What’s wrong, Dib? Gonna back out?” Carmen taunts.

            “Not a chance,” he snaps.

            “Don’t worry. The next one doesn’t spin,” Colton says reassuringly.

            The next ride is called ‘The Gut Shifter’. Five people are hung suspended to a large pole and then flung up and down or side to side at random multiple times. Just when you’re think you’re done, you’re shot back up into the air. It’s making lots of people sick.

            Zim, Dib, Pepito, Carmen, and Colton get strapped in and the ride begins. Their limbs flail from the force as they change direction. They scream with exhilaration until the ride is over and stagger away on their trembling legs.

            “That was awesome!” Colton laughs.

            “My whole body is tingling,” Pepito snickers.

            “It’s…aptly named,” Dib mutters as he sits on a bench and rubs his belly.

            “You alright, Dib?” Zim asks, half amused half concerned.

            “Yeah, yeah. I should be fine in a few minutes,” he replies.

            “Well, don’t rest too long,” Carmen orders, “we gotta hit the next ride.”

            “It’s called ‘The Hell Sighter’,” Colton says in a spooky voice as he points at it. Customers climb a long staircase and are strapped into a large ball that gets flung towards the ground while spinning.

            Dib takes one look at it and his retches. He jumps to his feet and rushes to the nearest garbage can.

            “Dib’s out!” Carmen announces.

            “He’ll be fine,” Zim insists and starts marching away. “Let’s go!”

            They get in line for ‘The Hell Sighter’ and watch as people before them get thrown to the ground. They all scream like banshees.

            “You know, this ride was named this because some people claimed to have actually seen Hell,” Colton points out.

            “I’ll be the judge of that,” Pepito grins.

            Each of them takes their turn in the ride and stumble out, dizzy and disoriented. But none of them are sick yet.

            “Well, I didn’t see Hell,” Pepito says, “just a lot of bright lights.”

            “I think I blacked out for a second,” Colton chuckles.

            “Feh, I’ve had crash landings worse than that,” Zim scoffs.

            “You’re pretty confident, Zim,” Carmen comments, “but how’s your stomach?”

            “I don’t have one,” he replies, “but my squeedly spooch is just fine.”

            “We’ll see if you still have that confidence when we hit the rollercoaster,” she grins.

            “Rollercoaster?” Pepito questions.

            “The Heart Attack!” Colton announces as he points to the mass of metal loop-de-loops near the end of the park. “Named thusly because it has actually given people heart attacks before. It is the park’s signature ride and the main reason it’s banned in so many states. But we still have two more rides to do before it.”

            “What is that, like six loops in a row?” Pepito asks, “is that legal?”

            “Just barely,” Colton replies.

            “Enough talk,” Zim barks, “let’s continue.”

            The next ride is something like “The Gut Shifter’ except more compact. Instead of going a short distance, this ride pretty much shakes the life of you by going up, down, left, and right quite rapidly.

            They each take their turn. Zim, Pepito, and Carmen handle it well enough but it turns out to be Colton’s breaking point. As soon as he’s released, he races for the nearest garbage can.

            “Weak,” Zim laughs.

            “I’m surprised he lasted this long,” Pepito comments.

            “What about you, Pepito?” Carmen asks, “you’re starting to look as green as Zim.”

            “Worry about yourself, Carmen,” he grunts, “let’s do the next one.”

            The final ride before the big finale is another tall ride. People are hooked up to a large pole, shot up into the air, and then spin around the pole at high speed while coming down.                              

            Zim, Pepito, and Carmen get strapped in. There’s no breathing room between going up and going down. It happens so quickly, they barely have any idea what direction they’re going.

            They’re incredibly disoriented when they’re let off. They stumble to a nearby bench to rest.

            As soon as Pepito’s brain has stopped spinning, his stomach lurches and he rushes to a garbage can.

            “And then there were two,” Carmen says, “what a great ending; the final combatants on the final ride.”

            “Yes. This will truly decide who the winner is,” Zim nods.

            They grin at each other, their pride flaring as they stand up and head to the final ride: The Heart Attack.

            The closer they get to the rollercoaster, the more their smiles fade until they’re standing at the entrance. They look up at the colossal, offensive metal contraption with a mix of fear and doubt and grip their stomachs.

            “Before you get on, I need you to sign these,” the carnie says as he pulls out two sheets of paper and pens.

            “What are they?” Carmen asks.

            “Waivers stating that the park isn’t liable for anything that might happen to you,” he replies.

            Zim and Carmen groan uneasily. They glance at each other and immediately put on fake smiles.

            “Well, I’m not scared,” Carmen scoffs.

            “Zim neither,” Zim retorts, “I’ve been on worse than this.”

            They each take a pen and begin to sign their names.

            Suddenly some static sounds from the carnie’s walkie-talkie. “Uh, hang on,” he says as he grabs it. “Yeah?”

            A voice replies with incomprehensible chatter. The carnie nods and puts his radio away. “Sorry, kids. There’re some technical difficulties with the ride. You won’t be able to ride it right now.”

            A wave of relief washes over Carmen and Zim, but they fight against letting it show.

            “O-oh. That’s too bad,” Carmen sighs forcefully.

            “Y-yeah. I was looking forward to it,” Zim adds tensely.

            “Oh, well,” they conclude and quickly shuffle away from the rollercoaster.

            They find Dib, Colton, and Pepito at the seating area, sitting at a picnic table. They all look worn out.

            “Hey,” Colton smiles, “how was it?”

            “There were technical difficulties,” Zim replies as they sit down. “Unfortunately we could not go on it.”

            “Oh, that’s too bad,” he sighs.

            “Maybe later, when they get it fixed,” Dib suggests.

            “Yeah, m-maybe,” Zim and Carmen chuckle nervously.

            “Hey,” Gaz says as she and Maddie approach them. Maddie is carrying an armful of large stuffed animals while Gaz has cotton candy and popcorn.

            “How was your dumb challenge?” Gaz asks.

            “Zim and Carmen tied,” Dib replies.

            “Really? And you’re gonna accept that?” she questions with surprise.

            “It is humiliating, yes,” Zim nods, “but Zim will admit, she was a worthy opponent.”

“Aw, thanks,” Carmen smiles, “you were really cool too.”

            They smile at each other.

            “Anyone want popcorn?” Gaz asks as she places the bag in the middle of the table.

            The smell of the butter overtakes Zim and Carmen’s olfactory senses and they gag. They lunge across the table and race to the closest garbage can.

            “So does this mean nobody won?” Colton asks.

            “Oh, Zim is never gonna let this go,” Dib groans.

            “You know, even though I threw up the entirety of my stomach contents, I did have fun,” Pepito admits, “they were right. Not thinking about Squee for a while was good for me.”

            Dib, Colton, and Maddie smile approvingly. Pepito starts to smile too when something suddenly dawns on him and his face contorts with anger.

            “Zim still has my phone!” he exclaims. He jumps the table and charges up to the vomiting Irken.

            Dib, Gaz, Colton, and Maddie sigh with disappointment.


	75. Fanatics 38

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fuck, Psycho Doughboy, Reverend Meat, and Sickness try to learn how to be human.

The Night Terrors

 

            The Nightmare is a conscious construct of pure evil. It feeds on the imagination of creative people- writers, artists, musicians- turning them into unoriginal husks; mere shells of their former selves. It creates minions to torment its victims, making them more susceptible to its absorption. Four minions it once created were named Mr. Fuck, Psycho Doughboy, Reverend Meat, and Sickness. They were made for the sole purpose of agonizing Johnny C and Devi D.

            However, they failed multiple times. They were shoved into darkness, like toys thrown into the back of a closet. That is until somebody found a use for them again.

            Squee C, an enemy of the Nightmare, made a deal with them. He will give them freedom and their own bodies and they only have to help him when he asks.

            How could they not accept? They left the Nightmare and joined Squee. And with his incredible imagination and grasp of the concept of reality- or lack thereof- he made them human.

            Unfortunately for them, being human is not that easy.

 

            Mr. Fuck, Psycho Doughboy, Reverend Meat, and Sickness groan with discomfort as they rub their painfully empty bellies. They’ve only been alive for a few days and already they’re experiencing one of the biggest banes of human beings: hunger. As a result, they’ve experienced another bane of human beings: capitalism.

            Without money they can’t buy any food. Mr. Fuck suggested just killing the store clerk, but Reverend Meat and Sickness shot him down. Now they’re sitting in an alley, wallowing in their collective self-pity.

            “You know, I didn’t even think humans ate that much,” Psycho Doughboy muses, “Nny didn’t very often. I mean, I knew it was a necessity, but I didn’t think it had to be so constant.”

            “Yeah, and sleep too,” Eff adds, “Nny barely ever slept. Do you think he put up with this kind of pain all the time?”

            “Devi was the same,” Sickness adds, “she usually only had small snacks and slept for a couple hours. I guess neither of them are good specimens of healthy human beings.”

            “Do you think all artists are so self-destructive?” D-boy asks.

            “Well, Squee seems to take pretty good care of himself,” Reverend Meat replies, “psychically speaking anyway.”

            “He is just a kid,” Eff points out, “he might die if he tried to live like Nny or Devi.”

            “We’re gonna die if we spend any more time living like Nny or Devi,” Sickness points out.

            They sigh miserably.

            “How embarrassing would that be, dying from hunger?” Reverend Meat groans.

            “What would even happen if we die?” D-boy asks.

            “I don’t know, but I’m not in a hurry to find out,” Eff declares as he stands up. “So what are we gonna do?”

            “Well, first we should try to find something to eat,” Sickness says, “gotta get our strength back.”

            “But we don’t have money,” Eff points out.

            “Hey, can’t you guys use your hats to like create some food?” Rev suggests, “I mean you can pull anything out of them, right?”

            “Oh, yeah,” Eff beams. He takes off his top hat and reaches inside. “Alright, I’m gonna pull out a…steak dinner.”

            He pulls out an empty plate. They stare at it with befuddlement.

            “Okay, try again,” he grunts and sticks his hand back in. “Steak dinner.”

            He pulls out a raw hunk of meat.

            “I’ll eat it!” Reverend Meat exclaims.

            “No! You’ll get salmonella or something,” Sickness snaps.

            “Once more,” Eff growls and puts his hand back in. “Steak. Dinner.”

            He pulls out one raw potato.

            “This ain’t working, Eff,” D-boy points out.

            “You try it then!” Eff huffs.

            “Fine,” he shrugs and takes off his hat. “But I’ll go for something simpler. Like a…bowl of cereal.”

            He pulls out an empty bowl.

            “Okay,” he sighs, “how about a ham sandwich.”

            He pulls out a piece of white bread.

            “Hey, we can eat that,” Reverend Meat points out.

            They tear it into fours and eat.

            “It’s stale,” Sickness mumbles.

            “Alright, by the looks of things there are limits to our powers that not even Squee was aware of,” Eff states

            “Yeah,” D-boy agrees, “it would seem that we cannot pull out groups of things. We can only pull out one thing at a time.”

            “We can work with that,” Reverend Meat says, “can you pull out cash? Like maybe a dollar bill?”

            “I’ll give it a shot,” Eff shrugs and sticks his hand into his hat. He successfully pulls out an American dollar bill.

            “Nice!” Sickness cheers, “with a bit of patience, we could be rich within a couple hours!”

            “Hang on,” D-boy grunts and points at it. “Is that your face on it?”

            They look closely. Instead of a president’s face in the middle, it has Eff’s face.

            “Oh, man. We can’t spend this,” Rev sighs.

            “Yeah, it’s priceless,” Eff agrees.

            “You mean worthless,” D-boy argues.

            “So bottom line, you can’t make decent food or counterfeit money,” Sickness summarizes.

            “Even with magic powers, we’re still as useless as any other human,” D-boy concludes.

            “You know what that means,” Reverend Meat says, “we’re gonna have to get a job.”

            “Can we even get jobs?” Eff asks, “I mean we’re not exactly citizens.”

            “We’ll just get work that’s not exactly legal,” D-boy shrugs, “what do you think the market is for mercenaries?”

            “Eh, it would take too long to get our start,” Eff argues, “I say we just kill a rich person and take all of their stuff.”

            “We’re not killing anyone,” Reverend Meat states, “not unless we really have to.”

            Eff scoffs and rolls his eyes.

            “So what do we do?” D-boy asks.

            “I don’t know,” Rev sighs.

            “Well, I’m sick of sitting in this alley,” Sickness grunts as she stands up. “Let’s go for a walk.”

            They exit onto the street and stroll aimlessly down the sidewalk, alongside seemingly more capable human beings.

            “You know another problem we have?” Sickness asks as she watches the clouds. “Shelter. If we don’t find a place to live, we could die of overexposure. That’s a thing, right?”

            “Ah, that’s easy,” Eff insists, “there are countless abandoned buildings in this city. We’ll just hole up in one of those.”

            “And how long before it gets condemned and destroyed?” D-boy asks, “things disappear without warning all the time in this city, even buildings. If we’re gonna find ourselves a permanent home, we need to make sure it won’t go anywhere.”

            “Hey!” Reverend Meat calls out suddenly. The others stop and look back at him. He’s looking at a telephone pole, or more specifically, a piece of paper stapled to a telephone pole.

            “What is it?” Sickness asks as they join him. 

            It’s an ad. It reads ‘Looking for Roommate. Rent negotiable. Will get free bed and electricity. Close to store and University.’

            “Why would university be important?” Eff asks as he pulls the paper off the pole.

            “I’m sure students are always looking for cheap living spaces,” Rev shrugs, “they’re just as self-destructive as artists.”

          “Yeah, well, so are we,” D-boy declares, “and negotiable rent is something I can get behind.”

            “I agree,” Sickness nods, “shall we check it out?”

            They nod affirmatively and take off to the address. It takes them a while but they eventually find it. Or at least they think they do.

            “This…is this it?” Sickness asks.

            “It matches the address,” Eff shrugs.

            Sitting before them is a plain, black VW bus with tinted windows. As the ad said, it is right across the street from a convenience store and right down the street from the City University. It is also right outside a fenced off junkyard and. judging from how deflated the tires are, hasn’t ran in a long time.

            “Okay there is definitely a serial killer living there hoping to prey on UNI kids,” Reverend Meat decides.

            “My kind of guy,” Eff smirks and clasps his hands. “Let’s check it out.”

            They cross the street and approach the odd vehicle. There’s a sign hanging from the driver side door that reads ‘side door please.’ They cut around to the other side where there’s a passenger door and a sliding side door presumably leading to the backseat. There’s a sign hanging from it that says ‘knock gently.’

            The Night Terrors share a look before Reverend Meat gently taps with his knuckles.

            There’s some rustling from the other side before the door slides open. Standing in the opening is a scrawny Asian boy either in his late teens or early twenties. His short hair is scraggly, his thin glasses are crooked, and his clothes are wrinkled like he hasn’t changed in quite a few days. He looks incredibly taken aback.

            “I don’t think he’s a serial killer,” D-boy whispers.

            “Hi, we’re uh here for your roommate ad,” Reverend Meat says as he holds up the paper.

            “All of you?” the boy asks, “um alright. Come on in.”

            They clamber inside and look around with bewilderment. The only internal evidence that this is a vehicle is the completely intact dashboard and the two front bucket seats. Other than that, the entire interior is completely un-van like and looks barely liveable in.

            The whole bus has been stripped of its interior; the walls are nothing but painted metal.  And there is no backseat. Instead, in the middle of the van is a double bed with messy sheets. Sitting against the back wall is a small generator hooked up to a power bar. Plugged into that is a space heater- that’s turned off-, a mini fridge, a hot plate, a light fixture that’s hanging from the ceiling, and a laptop.

            “I-I know it’s not much,” the boy says nervously, “but we could fit another bed in here, or whatever you want assuming we can squeeze it through the door. And the generator is fully functional.”

            “What about facilities?” Sickness asks.

            “Um there’s a public washroom in the convenience store across the street and I always use the showers in the dorm at the university,” he replies, “I can try to sneak you sometimes.”

            “I know it’s not much,” he says again.

            “No, it’s fine,” D-boy shrugs, “I mean we don’t exactly have a right to judge.”

            “I think it’s cool,” Reverend Meat comments, “it’s like you took what little you had and made it into something you could work with.”

            The boy smiles appreciatively.

            “Still, don’t you think you should’ve mentioned in your ad that you’re living in a van?” Sickness asks.

            “I was worried if I did, no one would come,” he admits.

            “That’s fair,” Eff nods.

            “Why are you looking for roommates anyway?” Reverend Meat asks.

            “W-well, I really need money for food a-and student loans,” he replies.

            “You’re a student?” Sickness exclaims.

            “Y-yeah. I’m taking computer programming and journalism.”

            “Quite the pair,” D-boy comments.

            “Well, the programming is more of a hobby but journalism is my passion,” he explains, “I’m a freelance journalist so obviously I don’t get a lot of income. That’s why I thought I should get a roommate to pay me rent so I could buy food and stuff.”

            “S-so are you still interested?” he asks.

            They share another look.

            “Give us a second to confer,” Reverend Meat says as they turn away and huddle.

            “Okay, we can’t stay here,” Sickness states, “it’d be one thing if he were a serial killer or even just a landlord, but this kid is clearly going through some hard times and it just wouldn’t be right if we got mixed up in it. Besides, we don’t even have money to pay rent.”

            “Okay, I got an idea, just gonna toss it out there,” Eff says, “what if we kill the kid and take his van?”

            “No,” Reverend Meat snaps.

            “Why not?”

            “Because we’re not gonna solve all of our problems with murder.”

            “I got a better idea,” D-boy states, “he said rent is negotiable, so let’s negotiate.”

            They split apart and face the boy, D-boy taking the lead.

            “Alright, I’m gonna be frank,” he says, “we’re interested in living here, mostly because we don’t have a lot of options. And we don’t exactly have a steady income either. But you’re only interested in getting paid rent so you can buy food right?”

            “Yes,” the boy nods.

            “How about this? In lieu of actual money, we’ll get you food and water and other human necessities and in return, you let us live.”

            He considers it. “I guess that would be alright.”

            The Night Terrors grin victoriously.

            “What’s your name, kid?” Reverend Meat asks.

            “Aron Yoon,” he replies.

            “I’m Reverend Meat.”

            “Sickness.”   
            “Mr. Fuck.”

            “Psycho Doughboy.”

            Aron blinks. “Wow those are some uh…unique names.”

            “You can call me Eff for short,” Mr. Fuck says.

            “And you can call me D-boy,” Psycho Doughboy adds.

            “Um, well it’s a pleasure to meet you all,” Aron bows his head politely.

            “Same,” Rev grins.

            “So, Aron,” Sickness says as she flops down onto the bed. “If you don’t mind me asking, how did a university student end up living in a van anyway?”

            “Ah, well, let’s just say I made some stupid choices in the past- going to university without having a steady job was one of them,” he replies, “but I’m not looking back. I’m gonna keep moving forward no matter how horribly, horribly bad it gets.”

            “I like that,” D-boy nods approvingly.

            “As for why I live in the van specifically, after I got kicked out of my apartment a year ago, I found it abandoned and empty and decided I could live here rent free,” he explains.

            “Smart,” Eff nods.

            “What about you guys?” Aron asks, “what are your stories?”

            Reverend Meat chuckles, “you wouldn’t believe us if we told you.”

            “Why is that?”

            “Just trust us,” Sickness insists, “it’s better if you know as little about us as possible.”

            Aron scratches his neck and shrugs. “Alright.”  
            An alarm suddenly starts going off from his pants. He pulls out a smartphone from his pocket and silences it.

            “I gotta get to class,” he says as he unplugs his laptop and grabs a messenger bag from the front seat. “I’ll be back later this evening. Uh, feel free to make yourselves at home.”

            “Cool. See ya,” Reverend Meat waves as Aron hustles out the door and slides it shut.

            The Night Terrors are silent for a second as they stare at the wall.

            “Is this a good idea?” Sickness asks.

            “What do you mean?” D-boy questions.

            “I mean we can’t even feed ourselves,” she points out, “how are we gonna feed a struggling student?”

            “Hey, finding food is easier than finding money,” he argues.

            “I hate to admit it but he’s right,” Eff agrees, “all we gotta do is keep the kid alive and we get free living arrangements that we can do whatever we want with. Besides, how much can a kid like that eat? I mean he’s already living in poverty. It won’t be that hard.”

            “Besides, we don’t have a lot of options,” Reverend Meat adds, “we got this chance, we need to take it.”

            Sickness nods and lies down on her side. “Who would’ve thought freedom would be so hard.”

            “Well, at least it’s more exciting than living in pure darkness,” Eff shrugs.

            The others smile agreeably.

            “It’s like Aron said,” D-boy states, “no matter how horribly, horribly bad it gets, we just gotta keep moving forward.”

            Reverend Meat sighs as he lies down on the bed. “Words to live by.”

            They all lie down in a circle and sigh collectively. Being human definitely isn’t easy, but like Mr. Fuck said, it’s definitely more exciting than being locked away in darkness.


	76. Fanatics 39

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Devi meets some 'friends' on the bus.

The Bus Ride

 

            Devi groans as she turns her alarm off. She drags herself out of bed and to the bathroom for a quick shower. When she’s done, she brushes her hair and ties it up in her usual pigtails, puts on some lipstick, mascara, and eyeliner, then gets dressed- black skinny jeans, a long-sleeved black shirt, and a decal t-shirt over top. Then she grabs her bag and an apple and heads out the door.

           The rest of the apartment building is still asleep. Hell, the whole street is probably still asleep. The sun has only been up for an hour. Devi has never had to wake up this early. But because of recent events, it’s now the only way she can get to work on time.

            She exits the building, crosses the parking lot, and heads down the street. Two blocks later she arrives at the bus stop and collapses on the bench.    

            Her car was destroyed beyond repair during her summer vacation and she doesn’t have the money to buy another one, not even something used. So for the last couple weeks, she’s been taking the bus to get around. It sucks for multiple reasons, the biggest being that for some ungodly reason, this city only has one bus which means it’s got to make lots and lots of stops so no matter where you’re going, it’s most likely going to be a long drive.

            The trip from the stop closest to Devi’s apartment to the stop closest to the diner she works at is nearly three hours, which is why Devi has to get up so damn early.

            She glowers crankily as the bus pulls up. She forces herself to her feet, trudges inside, and pays the fee. Then she takes a seat near the back.

            The only good about being on the bus so early is that it’s mostly empty, except for broke people like her who are heading to work. So she can relax enough to catch a few Zs before work.

            By the time she reaches her stop, the city is starting to come to life. She exits the bus just as more people begin to board it. She lumbers down the street, past important people in suits living their important lives, to the diner that is just beginning to open. She goes around to the back and lets herself in through the employee’s entrance.

            “Morning, Devi,” her co-worker, Payton, greets.

            “Hey,” Devi grunts as she opens her locker to grab her uniform.

            “You seem to be in a bad mood,” the manager, Nana, comments.

            “I am so sick of taking the bus,” she groans.

            “Oh, that’s right. Jade mentioned you lost your car,” she nods.

            “Yeah,” Devi sighs, “I’ve been saving up for a new one but I’m not even close.”

            “How about a bicycle?” Payton suggests.

            “What?” she questions.

            “I ride one everywhere. They’re cheap and a great way to keep in shape,” she points out.

            “Yeah but you first have to be in shape to handle that kind of thing,” Devi retorts, “the most exercise I do is going up and down the stairs in my apartment building.”

            “Just a suggestion,” Payton shrugs.

            Devi sighs as she changes into her uniform and heads up front for another long day of waitressing.

            It’s just another average day: taking people’s orders, dealing with their annoying chatter and compliments, fake smiling until her cheeks hurt, and resisting the urge to break someone’s nose.

            She got Nana to arrange her work schedule so that the times she starts work and finishes work coincide with the bus schedule. She’s done work a couple hours before the diner closes and by the time she arrives at the bus stop, it’s about five minutes late as per usual.

            She’s not the only one waiting. There are three other people all heading to different locations. They all ignore each other.

            The bus finally arrives and they board it. Unlike in the morning, it’s quite full with ‘bus people’. Devi glowers with disgust and makes her way to the back. A couple of gross men catcall at her. She flinches when someone does a very wet sneeze and ignores anyone asking for money.

            She’s so busy trying to get into her happy place, she doesn’t notice the group of people sitting on the very back seat until one of them calls out to her.

            “Hey, it’s Devi!”

            She stops in her tracks, immediately recognizing that voice, and looks up in shock. Sickness is standing up, waving at her enthusiastically. Beside her is Psycho Doughboy. On the other side of the seat are Reverend Meat and Mr. Fuck. And sitting in the middle, squeezed in between in the Doughboys, is a scrawny Asian guy a few years younger than Devi with crooked glasses, messy hair, and wrinkled clothes. He’s typing away on a laptop, but he stops momentarily to glance at Devi.

            “What are you guys doing here?” she asks suspiciously.

            “Oh, don’t look at us with that suspicious glare,” D-boy groans.

            “We’re doing the same thing you are,” Reverend Meat replies, “taking the bus home.”

            “You have a home?” she asks sceptically.

            “Sure do. In the North End,” Eff nods.

            “The North End? Then what are you doing in the South End?”

            “Grocery shopping,” Rev replies as he nods at the three grocery bags sitting at his feet.

            “Food’s cheaper in the South End,” Sickness points out, “especially when you know where all the bargains are, like Aron does.”

            “Bargain shopping is easy…when you’re…broke enough,” the Asian boy mutters.

            “Aron?” Devi questions.

            “Oh, um I’m Aron Yoon,” he says as he sticks out his hand.

            “Devi D,” she responds as she shakes it.

            “So how do you guys know each other?” she asks as she sits on the seat in front of Sickness and D-boy.

            “He’s our roommate and landlord,” Eff replies.

            “You guys actually have money for rent?”

            “Not exactly,” Sickness answers awkwardly.

            “We get by,” D-boy shrugs.

            “They’ve actually been a great help,” Aron says, “they take care of all the cleaning and other odd jobs so I can focus on school and the van is so much more comfortable now.”

            “Well, we can’t exactly share one bed,” Rev points out.

            “What exactly are your living arrangements?” Devi questions curiously.

            “Bleak,” D-boy replies.

            “They must be if you have to take the bus all the way to the South End for three bags of groceries,” she comments, “that must be a long trip.”

            “Oh, yeah. Nearly seven hours round trip,” Eff groans.

            “I don’t mind it,” Reverend Meat smiles, “get to see lots of interesting people.”

            “If by interesting you mean disgusting,” D-boy grunts as he glares at a guy with snot dripping out of his nose.

            “Wow, and I thought I had it bad,” Devi mumbles.

            “Don’t compare yourself to us, Devi,” Sickness says.

            “Yeah. We’ve barely been alive for a month,” Rev points out.

            Devi catches Aron glancing at him with confusion and curiosity for a brief second, before looking back at his laptop. She cocks an eyebrow.

            “Do you know anything about these guys?” she asks.

            “No. But to be fair they don’t know much about me either,” he shrugs, “besides, I figure if they wanted to kill me, they would’ve done so a long time ago.”

            “That’s true,” D-boy grunts.

            Devi shrugs and nods agreeably. She can’t argue with that.

            The bus rolls up to a stop. Devi half notices as three people in all black board but she doesn’t pay them any mind. Not until the bus starts moving again and one of them whips out a gun.

            “Keep driving,” he growls as he points it at the driver.

            Many of the passengers start screaming with fear and surprise until a second guy pull out another and points it at them.

            “Shut up!” he orders. Everyone obeys, but there’s still whimpering and snivelling.

            “This is a hijacking,” he states, “if you all sit still and quiet, nobody will get hurt. First we’re gonna collect any valuables you have.”

            The third hijacker opens up a backup and starts walking down the aisle.

            “Throw anything valuable in the bag,” the second guy demands, “money, jewelry, electronics. We want it all.”

            “Fuck,” Devi groans as she sinks into her seat. “I can’t deal with this shit right now.”

            The criminal walks past her and focuses on Aron, who’s clutching his laptop to his chest.

            “Come on, kid. Give it up,” he orders.

            Aron looks away and squeezes harder. His whole life is on this thing. He can’t give it away.

            “Don’t you lot have anything better to do?” D-boy grunts.

            The thief looks at him and then Eff and scoffs, “what are you two supposed to be?”

            “Isn’t it obvious? We’re clowns,” Eff replies.

            “Oh, yeah? Can you do any tricks?” he snorts.

            Eff and D-boy look at each other. Then D-boy shrugs and stands up. “Alright.”

            “Dee, be careful,” Aron whispers.

            D-boy takes off his hat and shows off the inside. “See? Completely empty.” He reaches inside and pulls out a long, black, deflated balloon.

            “There’s a secret compartment inside the hat,” the second hijacker says.

            D-boy ignores him as he blows the balloon up. Then he twists it and ties it until he’s formed his creation.

            “Ta da,” he says unenthusiastically as he holds it out. “A noose.”

            “Impressive,” the third hijacker scoffs.

            “What kind of clown are you?” the first hijacker grunts.

            “The psycho kind,” D-boy replies plainly.

            In one swift movement, he slips the balloon noose over the third hijacker’s head and around his neck. Before anyone can even realize it happened, he then tugs on the noose, pulling him towards him, and knees him in the stomach. His scream of pain catches in his throat as D-boy releases the noose and lets him drop to the floor in a heap.

            “Hey!” the other hijackers exclaim. The second one starts to aim at D-boy.

            Eff suddenly jumps off his seat, sails across the bus, and lands in front of the hijacker. He tries to make a grab for the gun, but the hijacker pulls it out of reach and Eff grabs his wrist instead. He tries to punch him, but the hijacker catches his fist and they hold each other in a parry.

            Reverend Meat picks up Aron with ease and sets him in the back corner of the bus. “Stay low.”

           “Keep your head down, k?” Sickness smiles at Devi. She just looks at her with bewilderment.

            “Stop moving!” the first hijacker snaps, “or I’ll blow the driver’s head off!”

            Sickness scoffs and takes off. There’s only a blur of purple as she dashes across the bus, stopping abruptly in front of the hijacker. She grabs his wrist, points the gun to the ceiling, then slams the heel of her palm into his chin, snapping his head back and giving him a wicked case of whiplash. He falls back into the dashboard before collapsing onto the floor.

            Eff is still wrestling with the second hijacker. Neither of them is stronger than the other, so they can’t get free of their grip. The bus driver half watches them and half watches the road.

            “Stop driving!” Eff orders.

            “Keep driving!” the hijacker orders.

            “Pull over!”

            “Keep going!”

            “Park it!”

            “Gun it!”

            “Shut up!”   

            “You shut up!”

            Reverend Meat hustles up to them and chops the back of the hijacker’s neck. He goes rigid and falls forward. Eff quickly steps out of the way, letting him plummet to the floor.

            With the criminals subdued, Sickness, Reverend Meat, and Eff grin at each other. D-boy starts to join them when he notices his hijacker moving on the ground.

            “Watch out!” Devi cries.

            He pulls out a gun and starts to squeeze the trigger. The passengers scream. D-boy tries to jump out of the way.

            But before anyone can get hurt, Devi leaps out of her seat and lands on the guy’s back. She drives her knee into his spine and grabs his wrist, making him point the gun at the ceiling. He croaks in pain, completely paralyzed.

            D-boy sighs with relief, along with all the other passengers. Eff, Rev, and Sickness smile victoriously.

            “Nice moves, Devi,” Sickness comments.

            Devi starts to smile as she looks up, until she notices the driver isn’t watching the road and they’re heading straight for a wall!

            “The road!” she screeches.

            Everyone immediately turns around and scream with surprise. The driver slams on the brakes but he’s too slow and they collide with the wall. Most of the passengers fall harmlessly into the seats in front of them. But the Night Terrors get thrown off their feet and smash into the dashboard while Devi topples over, hitting the floor face first.

            Everybody groans in pain. Aron quickly jumps to his feet and rushes down the aisle. He stops by Devi first and helps her to feet. She’s nods appreciatively as she rubs her chin. Then he hurries to the Night Terrors.

            “Are you guys okay?” he asks frantically. They’re lying on the floor in a tangled up pile.

            “A-Okay, Aron,” Eff chuckles and gives him a thumbs up.

            “C-can we do that again?” Sickness snickers.

            “I’m seeing doubles,” D-boy says dazedly.

            “We’re gonna be feeling this in the morning,” Rev murmurs.

            They groan as they slowly rise to their feet, rubbing their aching bruises. Devi watches them with amusement.

            “It’s good to know you feel pain like any other human,” she says.

            “Well, I think our pain tolerance is much higher than normal humans,” Reverend Meat explains, “anyone else would be laid out after a crash like that. But we do feel pain, yes.”

            Multiple sirens are heard in the distance and slowly getting closer.

            “Aw, man. Here comes the fuzz,” Eff groans.

            “I don’t wanna get questioned,” Aron mutters.

            “Me neither,” D-boy grunts, “grab the groceries, let’s get out of here.”

            Reverend Meat grabs their groceries. Eff opens the bus doors and they quickly trot out.

            Devi watches them leave for a second then looks around with uncertainty.

            “Devi,” Sickness says as she pokes her head into the bus. “You coming?”

            She looks at her with surprise before huffing and hopping down the steps.

            “Not with you guys,” she grunts, “I’m taking a taxi home.”

            “Suit yourself,” Sickness shrugs and turns away. “See you later.”

            “I hope not,” Devi calls after her.

            She sighs with exhaustion and looks at the bus. Everyone’s evacuating it now. The front has been completely smashed by the wall. There’s steam and liquids escaping from the hood.

            Devi scoffs with annoyance as she turns on her heel and marches away. “That’s it. I’m getting a bicycle.”


	77. Fanatics 40.1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the start of a new Skool year. But being put into different classes turns out to be the least of our heroes problems.

Return of the New Girl Part One

 

            Zim stands before his team, a serious look on his face. “Welcome, subordinates. I appreciate you all showing up so diligently to this emergency meeting I arranged.”

            “You didn’t arrange this meeting, Zim,” Dib points out, “it’s registration day.”

            They’re in the front yard of the High Skool, along with dozens of other students and they’re guardians. Zim, Dib, Gaz, Pepito, and Squee are sitting at a picnic table along with Maddie. Standing nearby is Professor Membrane, Johnny, Rose- Pepito’s mom-, Maddie’s mom, and Skoodge disguised as Zim’s ‘uncle’. The kids are busy filling out their registration forms while Zim stands before them, being overly dramatic as usual.

            “Okay, maybe I didn’t arrange this meeting,” he admits, “but it is a meeting nonetheless, and we have something important to discuss.”

            “Here we go,” Gaz groans.

            “Squee and Dib have been put in different classes from Pepito and I,” Zim states drastically.

            “It’s not that big a deal, Zim,” Dib points out, “we’ll still share homeroom and we can take the option classes together.”

            “It is still outrageous,” he snaps, “how dare the Skool board try to separate us!”

            “It’s not their fault you two can’t study,” he retorts.

            “It’s rigged! Zim can do anything!” he declares.

            “Zim, don’t yell,” Squee sighs. He huffs but quiets down.

            “So what exactly is your solution for this problem?” Pepito asks.

            “Well…I don’t…have one,” Zim admits.

            “That’s because it’s not a problem,” Dib insists, “look, we’ll just sign up for the same option classes. It’ll be alright.”

            “Fine,” Zim grunts, “we’re able to take two. So what class is everyone most interested in taking?”

            “I’m definitely taking astronomy,” Dib says excitedly.

            “Astronomy,” Zim scoffs, “I’d know more about the galaxy than any human.”

            “I’m gonna take music,” Pepito states.

            “Meaningless noise.”

            “I wanna take home economics,” Squee says.

            “That’s what I’m taking,” Maddie smiles.

            “Oh, good,” he sighs with relief, “I won’t have to worry about looking for a lab partner.”  
            “So what class do you want, Zim?” Dib asks.

            “Political science,” he replies, “it may prove useful for when I take this planet over.”

            “Your guys’ interests sure are different,” Gaz comments.

            “No kidding. So what are we gonna do about it?” Pepito asks.

            “We can still choose one other option class,” Dib points out, “let’s just choose a class we can all agree on.”  
            They look over the list for a few minutes but there aren’t any classes they’re all interested in taking.

            “How about you take one that none of you are interested in?” Gaz suggests.

            “I suppose that could work,” Dib shrugs.

            “Great, so what class can we all disagree on?” Zim asks.

            They consider it for a second.

            “Health?” Squee suggests.

            The others groan with annoyance.

            “That sounds like our class,” Dib says and they add it to their info.

            “Ugh, learning about the human body,” Zim grunts with disgust, “sounds…icky. At any rate, the primary objective of this meeting is complete.”

            “Isn’t the primary objective to register for Skool?” Gaz questions.

            “Whatever.”

            A secretary exits the Skool with the clipboard. “Squee C,” she calls.

            “Finally,” Johnny groans.

            “Alright, be back in a bit, guys,” Squee says as he stands up. He and Johnny head up to the Skool and follow the secretary inside.

            They head through the halls to the Principal’s office. Along the way, Squee sees Bianca with her mother coming their way. She must’ve just finished registering.

            Bianca is a Goth Lolita witch that attends the Skool. Last year she tried to force Squee and Dib to tutor her for the final exams. Squee managed to keep things from turning into a full-on war by getting Maddie to tutor her instead.

            She watches Squee with uncertainty for a second before her expression fills with determination. She stops and cuts him off. He looks at her with surprise.

            “Squee. I feel like I owe you for getting Maddie to tutor me last year,” she says, “if she hadn’t, I wouldn’t have passed.”

            “But I didn’t really do anything,” Squee points out, “Maddie’s the one who tutored you. Shouldn’t you owe her?”

            “Don’t worry, I’ll pay her back too,” Bianca says reassuringly, “but I’m starting with you so listen up. You’re in the advanced classes, right?”

            “Yeah.”

            “There’s gonna be a new student in that class. I saw them leaving the Principal’s office when I went in to get registered.” She looks around cautiously for a second then leans in to whisper, “they aren’t human.”

            “How do you know?” Squee asks.

            “I’m a witch, I can tell,” she replies, “I’d suggest you watch your back around them. They might be dangerous.”

            “Hm. Well, thanks, Bianca,” Squee says.

            She nods and catches up her mom. Squee watches her for a second and nervously scratches his neck. He glances at Johnny.

            “No need to worry,” he says, “if they are dangerous, you’ll be able to sense it.”

            Squee smiles gratefully. Still he can’t help but worry. Just what sort of person could this new student be?

 

            The first day of Skool begins. Tired, grumpy students file into the Skool and head to their new lockers. This year Zim, Dib, Pepito, and Squee all got lockers right next to each other.

            Squee has already told them about Bianca’s warning. They’re not sure if they should be worried or not. It could really go either way.

            “You think they’re in the same homeroom as us?” Pepito asks.

            “I’m not sure,” Squee replies, “either way, Dib and I will see them in our class.”

            “Well, if you think they’re gonna be any trouble, let me know,” Zim demands, “we don’t wanna risk a future enemy getting the drop on us or something.”

            “Don’t worry, Zim, you’ll be the first I tell,” Squee says.

            The bell rings and everyone heads to homeroom. Zim and the other examine the other students warily as they walk into the classroom.

            “Looks like the same crew as last year,” Pepito observes.

            “Boring,” Zim comments.

            Everyone takes their seat. Zim and Dib sit in the front closer to the window while Squee and Pepito sit directly behind them.

            “Welcome back, everyone,” Miss Sweeties chimes excitedly, “I’m so happy to be your homeroom teacher again.”

            Everyone groans apathetically.

            “I trust everyone has their schedule for the semester. In a few minutes, we’ll head down to the library to pick up your textbooks,” she explains, “and then you can all head to your first class.”

            After a few minutes, Miss Sweeties leads the students to the library for their specified text books. Afterwards they head back to homeroom and prepare to go to their first classes. 

            “Remember, trust your instincts,” Zim warns as he and Pepito split off from Dib and Squee.

            “Don’t worry, Zim. If they’re dangerous, we’ll find out,” Dib says reassuringly.

            They head to their class downstairs. Dib sighs as he reads their schedule.

            “I can’t believe our teacher this year is Ms. Bitters again,” he groans.

           “She’s not so bad as long as you don’t aggravate her,” Squee shrugs, “unfortunately for you, that’s what your best at.”

            “It’s not my fault she only sees in black and white,” Dib scoffs.

            They enter the classroom. Some other students from the other homeroom are already there. Maddie is the only one they recognize. They sit next to her.

            “So who’s the new student?” Dib asks.

            “Not sure. I don’t know any of these people,” Squee replies.

            “New student? You mean Kat?” Maddie questions and nods at the purple haired girl at the back of the class. “She just started today.”

            “It must be her then,” Dib says.

           She has shoulder length, dark purple hair and pale skin. She’s wearing a light purple sweater, black leggings, and black gloves and boots. She’s sitting with perfect posture and her eyes staring straight ahead.

            “She looks…human enough,” Dib comments, “what do you think?”

            “Um well I don’t sense any sort of bloodlust from her, which is always good,” Squee replies, “maybe she’s not dangerous. It’s not like every student in this Skool is fully human anywhere.”

            “Are you guys talking about Bianca’s warning?” Maddie asks quietly.

            “Yeah. She told you too?” Squee questions.

            She nods. “In return for tutoring her. Said she wanted to make sure I don’t put myself in danger.”

            “She told me the same thing,” Squee muses, “I wonder what about her made Bianca so uneasy.”

            “Maybe she’s just more paranoid than you,” Dib shrugs.

            “I don’t think that’s possible.”

            Ms. Bitters enters the room and everyone ceases their chatter immediately as she glides to her desk.

            “Welcome to a new Skool year, children,” she grumbles, “you are all in this class because you have proven to be the smartest in the pack. This will only make your lives harder. You will be expected to keep your grades high and to keep up with all lessons. If you cannot, you will be moved to the other class. Any questions?”

            Everyone’s quiet.

            “Good. Keep it that way,” she grunts.

            The lesson proceeds smoothly and without a hitch. Ms. Bitters teaches much quickly than she has the last couple years. If anyone drifts off for even a second, they could get lost. Squee and Dib don’t even have time to worry about the mysterious new student. Fortunately, it seems like they have nothing to worry about.

            At first.

            At the end of class, when the bell has rung and everyone is packing up their stuff, Squee gets a sudden bad feeling. The kind of feeling he gets when he knows someone is capable of killing him.   

            He squeezes Shmee and looks back.

            Kat is watching him. Their eyes lock.

            She smiles warmly and waves. Squee blankly waves back.

            She leaves the classroom without a word. Dib watches her then looks at Squee.

            “She doesn’t seem bad,” Dib comments.

            “No,” Squee groans and squeezes Shmee, his face contorted with suspicion and fear. “I don’t know what she is, if she’s human or not. But she’s definitely dangerous. We need to warn Zim immediately.”

            Dib furrows his brows determinedly and nods. There’s no sense of uncertainty in his mind. If Squee says it, he knows it’s true.

            During the break between classes, they meet Zim, Pepito, and Gaz in the second floor boy’s washroom. The washrooms are the only rooms in the Skool without security cameras. With the door locked, it’s the perfect place for a secret meeting.

            “So she is dangerous, huh?” Zim grunts.

           “Extremely dangerous,” Squee replies, “the fact that she hides it so well is the unsettling part. I couldn’t sense her killer’s intent until the very last second, when it felt like she was going to attack. I don’t know for sure if she really was going to or not, but either way she’s a professional.”

            “So what do we do?” Pepito asks.

            “We neutralize her,” Zim responds.

            “Right now, in the middle of Skool?” Gaz questions.

            “I-I don’t know, Zim,” Squee says uncertainly, “I mean I don’t think we should hurt her until we have clear, concise evidence that she’s a threat. Right now it’s just a feeling I have.”

            “Your feelings have never steered us wrong before,” Dib points out, “still, attacking her in the middle of Skool is a bad idea.”

            “Fine. Then we’ll wait until lunch, get her alone, and interrogate her,” Zim orders, “we’ll see just how much of a threat she really is.”

            The others nods agreeably and head out.

            The next class passes uneventfully and then it’s time for lunch. Zim and the others head straight for the cafeteria, hoping that Kat will be there. And fortunately, she is, sitting by herself at the corner of a table.

            “How do we get her alone?” Dib asks.

            “I’m on it,” Pepito declares and approaches her, a friendly smile on his face.

            “Hi. You must be new here,” he says.

            “Yes, I am,” she replies.

            “My name’s Pepito,” he smiles, sticking out his hand.

            “Ah, I’m Kat,” she smiles back as she shakes it.

            “Well, Kat, since you’re new, how about my friends and I show you around?” Pepito suggests as he motions to Zim and the others.

            “Oh, I don’t wanna be any trouble,” Kat says.

            “It’s no trouble at all. We love meeting new people.”  
            “Well, alright,” she smiles, “thank you for the offer.”

            “My pleasure,” Pepito grins and trots back to the others while Kat gathers her book bag.

            “Play nice,” he whispers.

            Kat smiles as she approaches them. Pepito and Dib smile back; Squee kind of half smiles as he looks at the floor; Gaz rolls her eyes and pulls out her Game Slave; Zim folds him arms and watches her suspiciously.

            “Come on. We’ll show you the most important parts of the Skool,” Pepito says as they exit the cafeteria.

            They spend the next few minutes walking around the Skool. Pepito points out different classrooms and rambles on about this and that. The others keep a close but subtle eye on Kat. She walks stiffly, almost robotically, and doesn’t take her eyes off Pepito the whole time he’s talking. She listens almost too intently.

            “And these are the washrooms,” Pepito announces as they stop in front of the second floor washrooms. “Fun fact, the washrooms are the only rooms in the Skool without cameras. So if you want to get up to something sneaky, the washrooms are the place to do it.”

            “I see,” Kat muses, “that’s good to know.”

            “Shall we take a peek in one?” Pepito suggests, “it’s always fun to walk in on somebody. They get all jittery and defensive.”  
            Kat smiles and shrugs. Pepito pushes open the door to the boy’s washroom.

            “Aw, looks empty,” Pepito observes as they walk in, Kat in the lead. “Too bad.”

            The door starts to close behind them. A sick feeling suddenly floods Squee’s stomach and he grabs it. “Wait!”

            The others stop and look back him, bewildered. He stays frozen for a second, holding the door open, and slowly regains his composure.

            “Ah, uh, this is the boy’s washroom,” he states blankly, “K-Kat and Gaz shouldn’t be in here. Uh I-I don’t mean to assume or anything.”

            “No, I’m female,” Kat says.

            “Oh, good. Then the girl’s washrooms are right next door,” he points out, “if uh if you need them.”

            “Right,” Kat nods and leaves through the ajar door. “Thanks.”  
            Squee smiles shakenly, his whole body rigid as she walks by. It’s not until she’s fully past him that he lets out a shaky sigh and relaxes.

            “Uh, we should head back,” he says, “class is going to start soon.”       

            “Sure,” Kat nods and starts down the hallway. The others follow her but from distance.

            “Squee, what was that?” Pepito whispers.

            “I’m sorry,” Squee replies, “it’s just…I felt like when that door closed…she was gonna kill us all.”

            “What?” Zim exclaims quietly, “but we outnumber her and we were getting ready to interrogate her.”

            “I-I know,” he nods, “I just…I just felt like she wouldn’t have even given us a chance to talk.”

            Squee trembles as he clutches Shmee to his chest. The others watch him and sigh.

            “So what now?” Dib asks.

            Zim considers the question as he watches Kat walk ahead of them. If they can’t lead her into an ambush, then their only chance is to ambush her when she least expects it.

            He reaches into his PAK and pulls out a small, circular, metal device. Then he plasters on a smile and rushes up ahead.

            “Hey, Kat,” he says as he plants his hand on her back, subtly sticking the device to her shirt. “It was nice meeting you.”

            “Oh, uh, you too,” she replies, smiling back.

            Zim chuckles and stops walking, letting her leave alone. Dib and the others catch up with him and watch her.

            “What’d you do?” Dib asks.

            “I stuck a tracking device on her,” Zim replies as he pulls an electronic screen from his PAK. He taps it a couple times and a schematic map of the city pops up. It zooms in on a moving, red dot. “This way we can know her whereabouts at all times and figure out the perfect chance to ambush her.”

            “Good idea,” Pepito comments.

            “I know,” Zim nods. The bell rings and the hall quickly starts filling with students.

            “We’ll meet up again after Skool,” he demands, “be ready.”

            The others nod and head to their lockers.

            The rest of the day passes uneventfully but Squee spends it feeling uneasy. He just can’t get the feeling out of his head.

            After Skool they head to Zim’s place. He whips out his tracker and holds it for everyone to see.

            “We’ll find out where she lives,” he declares, “and strike after dark.”

            “Sounds good,” Dib nods.

            They watch the dot move for a few minutes before it suddenly disappears.

            “What?” Zim snaps.

            “What happened?” Pepito asks.

            Zim taps the screen a couple times before growing frustrated and tossing the device aside. “Computer! Display tracking monitor on television.”

            “Tracking target not found,” the Computer replies.

            “Not found? What do you mean not found?” he barks.

            “Could she have found the chip?” Squee suggests.

            “Impossible!” Zim snaps, “how could she have possibly noticed?”

            Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Kat goes deeper underground in an elevator. She stares the smashed remnants of Zim’s tracking chip in her hand, which she had just crushed between her fingers.

            “Futile,” she scoffs and tosses them aside.

            The elevator stops and she enters her lab. An Irken SIR unit with a large arm salutes her before following at her feet. She sits at her super computer and loads up the camera feeds from the Skool. She’s been hacked into them for quite a few months now.

            She taps her fingers as she reviews today’s footage, more specifically the first class. She watches Squee closely.

            “That Squee is suspicious,” she muses, “the way he looked at me, the way his body tensed up. He was getting ready for an attack. It’s no coincidence. It’s like he could read my thoughts.”

            She rubs her chin. “He may be problematic. Perhaps I should take him out separately.”

            She turns to her robot who looks at her expectantly.

            “Track Squee C. Wait for the best possible moment and then capture him,” she orders.

            “Yes, my master,” the robot responds before flying off.

            Kat turns back to her computer and focuses on an image of Zim. “This is it, Zim. Months of planning will finally pay off. It won’t be long now and I will finally have my revenge. Nothing will stop me this time.”

            Her nasally laugh echoes throughout her lab as her disguise drops and she slams her hands onto her desk: one Irken and one robotic.  


	78. Fanatics 40.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat strikes.

Return of the New Girl Part Two

 

            Squee clambers out of Johnny’s car. He straightens his bag as he heads down the road to the Skool. Just before he enters the yard though, he gets a sudden bad feeling in his stomach.

            He stops and spins around. He looks around suspiciously but all he sees are other students heading to the Skool. None of them even pay attention to him.

            He scratches his head nervously and glances down at Shmee, who’s sitting in his bag. He just shrugs.          Squee sighs and continues going to the Skool.

            He makes his way through the sea of students to his locker. Zim, Dib, and Pepito are already there, going through their lockers.

            “Morning, Squee,” Pepito greets happily then cocks his head with concern. “Are you okay?”  
            “I guess,” Squee shrugs, “I’ve just…been really on edge. I keep feeling like I’m being watched which, you know, isn’t really anything new except it seems stronger than usual. But I don’t see anyone suspicious.”

            “Maybe Kat is looking to make her move,” Zim growls, “if that’s the case then we need to act soon.”

            “What are we going to do?” Dib asks.

            “I’ll think of something. In the meantime, you two keep an eye on her in class,” he says to him and Squee. “If she does something suspicious, don’t be afraid to strike.”

            Dib and Squee nod affirmatively.

            Fortunately the Skool day is uneventful. But Squee still can’t shake his feeling. Something is making his skin crawl. He has a hard time staying focused and sitting still. But he can’t figure out what the source is.

            “I can’t take much more of this,” he groans as he walks with Dib to their lockers at the end of the day.

            “If something is watching you, maybe you can snuff it out,” Dib suggests, “go into alley by yourself or something and then when it strikes, you take it out.”

            “That could work if I had any confidence in my battling skills,” Squee mutters, “or confidence in general.”

           “Well, you’re going home now. That’s gotta be the safest place for you to be,” he points out.

            “Yeah, you’re probably right,” he sighs.

            Zim and Pepito are already at the lockers when they arrive. Zim faces them dramatically.

            “Tomorrow is Saturday,” he announces.

            “Thanks for the update,” Pepito grunts.

            “We shall meet at my base tomorrow and track down Kat,” Zim declares, “her information is probably in the Skool’s computer records. We can hack into it in my lab after which we will ambush her.”

            “You really thought this through,” Dib comments.

          “Dib, pass the message onto Gaz,” he orders, “we meet at the base at noon. Be battle ready.”

            “Great,” Squee groans with exhaustion.

            That night, Kat impatiently taps her fingers on her computer as she glares at her SIR unit. “Why have you not apprehended Squee?”

            “The Squee human’s defenses are constantly on high,” the robot replies, “he has no weak points. Whenever I would prepare to strike, he would immediately sense it. Any attempt at capture would result in failure.”

            “Interesting,” Kat hums, “is he even human? Perhaps Zim had succeeded in creating a well-functioning robot? How else could he get someone so capable to work for him?”

            “In any case, we need to change tactics,” she declares, “Computer, what is the estimated time of completion for Protocol R?”

            “Protocol R estimated time of completion is approximately…11 hours and 5 minutes,” the computer replies.

            “Excellent. Initiate upon completion. Target: Squee C,” she orders.

            “As for you.” She faces her SIR Unit. “Capture Dib and Gaz by any means necessary. With your latest upgrades, a battle with them should be easy. Once we have three of his four subordinates, Zim will come to me with his fourth as back up. And he will walk right into my trap.”

            “Yes, my Master,” the robot salutes and flies off.

            Kat leans back in her chair, her hands clasped in front of her face. “This will succeed. I will not lose again.”

            The next day, Dib yawns as he wakes up. He wipes the sleep from his eyes and puts his glasses on. Then he slides out of bed and trudges out of his room.

            He starts heading to the kitchen, but as he gets off the stairs there’s a small knock on the front door. He goes to answer it, still a little too groggy to wonder who it is. 

            He opens it but nobody’s standing there. He looks around before noticing something small sitting on the front step.

            It’s a little black cat with narrow red eyes and odd grey ears.

            “A cat?” Dib questions. The cat glares at him. Its eyes almost seem…calculating and it looks...familiar.

            Dib jerks fully awake as he recognizes the creature. “Yo-you’re-!”

            Before he can finish, a large metal arm bursts from cat and locks onto Dib’s head, knocking him off his feet and across the living room. He slams into the wall, a robotic hand gripping his face. His cries are muffled by the palm as he tries to rip it off.

            “What the hell are you doing?” Gaz asks with annoyance as she trots down the stairs. She freezes when she sees a SIR Unit standing in the doorway, its outstretched arm squeezing her brother’s head.

            She growls and starts to advance. The robot narrows its eyes and swings its large arm, throwing Dib into her. They cry out in pain and surprise as they clatter to the floor.

            As they groan the robot charges them and lifts its large arm. Gaz sees it at the last second and shoves Dib away. “Move!” she orders. They just barely dodge it as they slide across on opposite sides of the robot.

            The siblings get up in crouch while the robot lands in between them. Everything is still for a second as they glare at each other.

            The robot strikes first, quickly and suddenly. It lashes its large arm at Gaz. She tries to jump out of the way, but it catches her legs and she crashes into the floor.

            “Gaz!” Dib exclaims. He charges the robot but before he has a chance to attack, it grabs the front of his shirt with its free hand and throws him overhead. He and Gaz cry out as he lands on top of her.

            The robot lets go of Gaz’s legs and lifts up its arm. Dib gasps, grabs Gaz, and rolls out of the way. The fist smashes the floor inches away from them.

            “We don’t even have time to think,” Gaz pants as the robot retracts its arm and glares at them.

            “It must be analyzing our movements,” Dib muses, “if we can get to the EMP in Dad’s lab, we can shut it down.”

            “Fine. You go,” Gaz declares, “I’ll distract it.”

            Dib nods. Gaz stands up while he remains in a crouch. The SIR Unit watches them closely.

            Gaz roars as she charges it. The robot faces her head-on and swings at her with its large hand. She lifts her arms and lets it grab her midriff.

            While this is happening, Dib makes a beeline for the basement door. The robot spots him and attempts to let go of Gaz to apprehend him. But she hooks her elbow around its arm and holds it tight. Then she grabs the tubing connecting its arm to its head and tries to rip it out.

            The robot freezes and glares at her. A strong electrical charge travels through the tubing, shocking Gaz greatly. She screams in pain as she spasms before falling limp in the robot’s hand.

            “Gaz!” Dib cries as he slides to a stop. The robot lets her flop to the floor and faces him. Dib gasps and races for the stairs.

            The robot extends its arm. Dib dives for the steps, but its hand slams into his side and sends him tumbling across the floor. He groans in pain and grips his ribs.

            The robot lashes out at him. He tries to scramble away but it grabs his ankle and throws him across the room. He lands right next to Gaz.

            The SIR Unit’s head opens up and a large, black box on a metal arm pops out. Dib screams as the box closes around them.

            Meanwhile, across the city, Squee rubs his tired eyes as he sits up on the couch. He didn’t sleep at all. He spent the night watching movies with Nny. He has such a feeling of dread; even if he did fall asleep he would probably just have nightmares.

            “You should at least have a nap or something,” Johnny says.

            “Yeah,” Squee mutters, “maybe.”

            He groans as he stands up and stretches. “Well, I’m gonna go downstairs. Just call me if you need anything.”

            Squee nods as Johnny leaves. Then he lies back down with Shmee on his chest and Nugget curled up on the arm by his head.

            He cannot live like this. He needs to figure out what’s causing all these bad feelings. Kat must be the root. He was fine before she showed up. But how can he fix it?

            Zim wants to get rid of her too. Maybe his plan will actually work.

            Squee sighs and closes his eyes. He can only hope.

            He lies still for a few minutes, resting his eyes, when an odd noise reaches his ear. He sits up and looks around with confusion. Nugget and Shmee are doing the same.

            “What is that?” Squee asks.

            “It sounds like…a loud whirring,” Shmee says.

            “It’s coming from outside,” Squee mutters and stands up. He holds Shmee to his chest and cautiously walks up to the front door. Nugget is at his heels. He carefully rests his ear against the door and listens.

            “It sounds like it’s coming from…above,” he muses.

            He steps away and slowly reaches for the doorknob. He stops, the tips of his fingers resting on it.

            “Nah,” he scoffs and turns away.

            As he starts to walk back to the couch, a jolt runs up his spine. He quickly picks up Nugget and dives out of the way.

            The door is suddenly blasted off the hinges and an army of fifty little robots flies inside.

            “What the hell?” Squee cries. They all stop and hover above him, quiet and still.

            “They look like Gir,” he mumbles, “they’re…SIR Units.”

            Their red eyes simultaneously narrow. Squee exclaims and leaps for the couch as they fly at him. He makes for the walkie-talkie, but before he can get it, one of the robots grabs his ankle. He screams as it whips him back into the middle of the robot crowd.

            “Shmee!” he shouts.

            Immediately the teddy bear enters this plane of existence and leaps to life. He dives into the army and starts busting robot heads with his powerful punches. Nugget joins in too, her sharp claws tearing into their metal hides. But there’s too many and they quickly get overpowered.

            Nugget and Shmee are thrown to the ground while the army keeps a tight grip on Squee. He struggles to free himself but it’s hopeless. They literally have him in an iron grip.

            “Squee!” Shmee cries as the army flies into sky, carrying the screaming Squee off.

            Shmee and Nugget stare after them for a few seconds. Then Shmee looks down at himself.

            “I’m still in this plane, which means Squee hasn’t lost consciousness,” he muses, “then I gotta move fast. Nugget!”

            The cat looks at him with surprise.

            “I don’t know where those robots are taking him, but I know a good place to start,” he says, “we gotta get to Zim’s. Do you know where that is?”

            She just blinks and flicks her ear.

            “What am I doing? I’m talking to a cat,” he groans and heads for the door. Then Nugget suddenly tackles him to the floor.

            “Hey, what the hell are you-?” Shmee stops as Nugget rests on her haunches before him. She looks at him expectantly.

            Shmee cocks his head curiously then grins. “Alright. Sorry for underestimating.”

            He mounts her back like a horse, lightly gripping her fur with his stubby paws. “Let’s go, quickly.”

            She stands up and looks back into the house.

            “No, no. Leave Johnny,” Shmee orders, “he’ll just slow us down. We’ll move faster if it’s just the two of us.”

            Nugget’s ear twitches and she takes off into the street.

            “We need to move fast,” Shmee growls, “hopefully we’ll catch Zim before he realizes what’s going on. If he goes after Squee, no doubt he’ll be walking into a trip.”

            A couple hours later, Zim paces back and forth impatiently in his living room. Pepito is sitting on the couch with Skoodge, Gir, and Minimoose, tapping on his phone.

            “Where is everyone?” Zim demands, “they should’ve been here half an hour ago.”

            “Nobody’s answering their texts,” Pepito says with concern. “Do you think something happened?”

            “Could Kat have struck first?” Zim growls.

            “If that is the case, then how are we gonna find them?” he asks.

            “I put a tracker in Dib’s glasses,” he replies.

            “Does-does he know that?”

            “That’s irrelevant.”

            Zim takes out his cell phone from his PAK and taps it a couple times. A map of the city pops up and zooms in on a little blue dot.

            “Something is definitely up,” Zim muses, “Dib is nowhere near his house.”

            “So what’s the plan?” Pepito asks.

            “We go after him,” he declares, “Squee and Gaz are probably with him. We’ll track them down and make Kat pay for messing with my team.”

            “Right,” Pepito grunts and jumps to his feet. “Let’s get going then.”

            “Skoodge, Gir, Minimoose, watch the base!” Zim orders as he and Pepito rush out the door.

            The minions don’t budge from the couch. Not until a few minutes later, when something starts scratching the outside of the front door.

            “Company!” Gir exclaims and starts to jump up.

            “Gir, no!” Skoodge snaps and holds him down. “Computer, display the front yard.”

            The television turns on, revealing camera footage of the front yard. It shows a little brown cat scratching at the door and a brown teddy bear attempting to turn the knob.

            “Aren’t those Squee’s?” Skoodge questions.

            “Bear bear!” Gir squeals excitedly. He shakes off Skoodge’s grip and opens the door.

            “Zim!” Shmee exclaims as he dodges Gir’s tackle-hug.

            “Zim’s not here,” Skoodge says.

            “Damn, we’re too late,” Shmee snarls.

            “Too late for what?”

            “Zim could be in big trouble,” Shmee explains, “do you know where he went?”

            “No, but I know how we can find out,” Skoodge replies, “Computer, display Dib’s tracking location.”

            The TV screen changes to a map of the city with the blue dot.

            “That’s where he’s going?” Shmee questions.

            “Yes,” Skoodge nods.

            “Then we gotta move fast,” Shmee declares and hops back onto Nugget’s back. “Let’s go, Nugget.”

            “Wait!” Skoodge orders as he jumps to his feet. “I wanna come too.”

            “Me too, me too!” Gir sings as he and Minimoose join him.

            “Fine,” Shmee grunts, “but you better keep up.”   

            The group of little creatures dash out the door and down the street, in the same direction of Zim and Pepito. Who knows what they could be heading into, but they can’t let anything slow them down. It might be their turn to play hero.


	79. Fanatics 40.3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The new girl vs the Battalion

Return of the New Girl Part Three

 

            Zim and Pepito race through the streets, following the map on Zim’s phone. They waste no time, cutting through yards and jumping over fences; taking all the shortest routes to get to their destination.

            “Are we almost there?” Pepito pants, “I’m getting real tired of running.”

            “Conserve your energy!” Zim orders, “you’re gonna need it to do a dramatic entrance!”

            “Here!” he exclaims and charges towards a little house. He kicks open the door with a loud shout, bursting in dramatically. Pepito pants and leans against the doorframe as he catches up, out of breath.

            The house is completely empty. It doesn’t even have any furniture.

            Zim looks at his phone with confusion. “Hm. It must be below us.”

            “Great,” Pepito groans and rolls his shoulders. “So, what, we gotta find stairs or-.”

            Zim cuts him off as his spider legs come out of his PAK and fire lasers into the floor, creating a square hole that goes deep into the ground.

            “That works too,” Pepito shrugs.

            “Let’s go,” Zim orders.

            They jump into the hole and slide down into the darkness.

            They fall out of the hole into a large, dimly lit room full of technology. The walls and ceiling are covered in electrical parts with flashing lights.

            Zim examines the devices curiously. “This looks like Irken tech.”

            “Very observant, Zim!”

            Zim and Pepito jump as bright lights suddenly turn on, illuminating the whole room. Dib, Gaz, and Squee are revealed farther into the room, trapped in glass cages with their arms bound behind their backs. They look at Zim and Pepito with concern.  Standing between them is Kat, an arrogant smirk on her face.

            “So glad you could finally make it,” she purrs, “I was starting to think you decided to just abandon your precious subordinates.”

            Dib suddenly starts kicking at the glass of his cage and shouting something, but no noise comes out.

            “What’s wrong, Dib? You trying to ruin the surprise?” Kat snickers, “too bad that glass is soundproof.”

            “Kat!” Zim barks, “what’s your game?”

            “Revenge!” she snaps, “you’ve ruined my life so many times! Now it’s my turn!”

            “Who are you, really?” Zim growls.

            “All will be revealed in time,” Kat replies, “but first you will suffer.”

            “Wanna bet?” Pepito snarls as he grabs his guitar from his back.

            “Ah!” Kat shouts and points a laser gun at Squee’s cage. He flinches fearfully. “Stay put or I’ll blast an extra hole in Squee’s head.”

            Pepito steps back warily and hesitantly lowers his hands. Zim snarls angrily.

            “Look, I don’t know what your problem is, but there’s no reason to drag my subordinates into this,” Zim snaps, “let them go.”

            “Wrong again, Zim,” Kat retorts, “Dib and Gaz are also partly responsible for ruining my life. They deserve this as well. Maybe Squee doesn’t, but for some reason he supports you. And that’ll make this revenge so much sweeter.”

            “You see, Zim, I’ve been watching you for a few months. And I’ve seen how close you are to your so-called ‘team’. I’m going to use that to my advantage.”

            “Ha! You hope to use them against me?” Zim scoffs, “useless!”

            “We’ll see,” Kat grins as she approaches Dib and Gaz. Dib presses against the opposite end of his cage, trying to keep away from her, while Gaz growls defiantly. “My skills have grown tremendously since we last met. I’ll show you just how outmatched you truly are.”

            She looks at Dib and Gaz. They glare back at her. Something flashes across her eyes and their faces suddenly go blank.

            Kat chuckles victoriously as she steps back.

            “What happened?” Pepito asks.

            “Dib? Gaz?” Zim questions.

            They don’t respond. They don’t even look at him. They just stare straight ahead, a blank stare on their faces.

            Squee looks at them with a hopeless expression as he mouths ‘brainwashed.’

            “Correct,” Kat chimes, “Dib may be smarter than the average human but I took that into account. They’re under my control now.”

            She smirks as she turns to Squee. “And you’re next.”

            Squee flinches as she approaches him. A flash goes across her eyes. Squee snaps his eyes shut like he just looked at a bright light, then slowly blinks them open.

            “What?” Kat questions. Her eyes flash again. Squee grunts with annoyance and blinks a couple times. He whines about something and rubs his eyes on his knees.

            “Why isn’t this working?” she growls.

            Zim laughs obnoxiously. “It’s useless, Kat! No form of brainwashing can work on Squee. His mind is an endless maze, unnavigable even by him.”

            Squee shrugs and nods.

            Kat snarls and spins on her heel. “Fine. I’ll leave him then. He may come in handy in the future.”

            “Dib and Gaz are more than enough for this,” she smirks and snaps her fingers.

            Small doorways suddenly open up on Dib and Gaz’s cages and their binds drop. They don’t leave though; they just stay perfectly still, like zombies.

            “Soldiers!” Kat barks.

            They stand at attention like trained soldiers, ready to receive their orders.

            “Attack Zim and Pepito!”

            “What?” they exclaim. Squee mouths, “no!”

            Dib and Gaz launch out of their cages and charge Zim and Pepito like wild beasts. They both barely dodge their tackles.

            “Have fun, Zim!” Kat taunts as she rides a cable towards the ceiling and into a skybox, like the kinds in sports stadiums. She can be seen watching through a long glass panel, and her voice is being transmitted into the room through a speaker. She laughs obnoxiously and victoriously.

            Zim freezes, his eyes widening with surprise. “That laugh. I know that laugh.”

            “Tak!” he barks, his spider legs extending from his PAK.

            “So, you finally figured it out,” she scoffs as her human disguise drops, revealing her true self. Zim, Pepito, and Squee all gasp with surprise.

            Her left half is Irken, with a curled antenna and a purple eye along with dark green markings that appear to be some form of scarring. But the right half is robotic. The top right half of her head is completely covered in metal, with a red, cybernetic eye. She has a robotic arm with four fingers and a robotic leg. She’s wearing a somewhat modified version of her old Irken uniform, without sleeves on her right arm and leg.

            “Wh-what happened to you?” Zim asks with horror.

            “You happened to me!” she cries, “you turned me into this-this abomination!”

            “That explosion in Membrane Labs,” he muses, “it didn’t kill you, like I thought. It just made you horribly mangled. But that wasn’t my fault! You started that fight!”

            “It’s all been your fault!” Tak screeches, “you ruined my life! How can the Tallest take me back like this! I’m an outcast, a monster! Just like you! And you will pay!”

            “Soldiers! Destroy his precious minion, but leave Zim alive!” she orders, “I want him for myself.”

            Dib and Gaz leap into duty mode. Gaz goes after Pepito, while Dib goes after Zim.

            Dib starts swinging at him with strong punches. Zim dodges them as his spider legs instinctively move to protect him. He groans with uncertainty and retracts them before jumping out of Dib’s range.

            Tak laughs. “You’ve grown soft, Zim. In the past you never would’ve hesitated fighting someone who was attacking you, ally or not.”

            Zim growls and glares at her. He starts to say something but gets cut off when Dib’s fist flies towards his face. He cries out with surprise as he just barely dodges it.

            “Dib! Get a hold of yourself!” he demands, “you’re smarter than her! You can beat this!”

            Dib doesn’t respond at all as he continues swinging.

            “It’s no use, Zim!” Pepito cries hopelessly as he dodges Gaz’s attack. “They’re completely under her control. What do we do?”

            “We gotta get up there and take her down!” Zim orders.

            “Right!” he nods affirmatively, “after you.”

            Zim extends his spider legs to Tak’s skybox. But before they can reach, Dib grabs one of them. He yanks Zim off his feet and throws him into wall. He cries out in pain as he smashes into the metal siding.

            “Zim!” Pepito exclaims. Gaz grabs him, twists his arm behind his back, and slams him into the floor. He grunts in pain.

            “Gaz, I’m really sorry for what I’m about to do,” he says, “so when you get your mind back, please don’t send your blood thirsty stuffed animals after me.”

            He swings his leg and kicks Gaz’s ankles, knocking her down. She gasps in pain as she slams face first into the floor.

            Pepito jumps over her and rushes over to Zim and Dib.

            Zim clumsily clambers to his feet, a little winded after his last hit. Dib starts to charge him but Pepito comes up behind him. He hooks arms under both of Dib’s shoulders and plants his hands on the back of his head. Dib grunts and groans as he struggles to get free, but Pepito holds him tight.

            “Go get Tak!” Pepito orders, “I’ll handle this!”

            Zim nods and rushes towards the middle of the room. He starts to extend his spider legs towards the skybox when a SIR Unit with a large arm flies out. It grabs one of Zim’s legs and rips it half. Zim cries out and crumbles to the floor.

            Tak’s SIR Unit, Mimi, lands in front of him, her eyes glowing a bright red. Zim jumps back from her and growls.

            “Where’s your SIR Unit, Zim?” Tak asks mockingly, “did you finally scrap it for parts?”

            Zim only snarls in response.

            Meanwhile, Squee struggles to free himself from his binds. They’re some kind of metal bracers and he can’t figure out how they latch on with them behind his back.

            With a lot of grunting, struggling, and bending in ways he shouldn’t bend, he manages to wiggle his arms over his legs and to his front. He sighs with relief and examines his binds.

            They look completely sealed without even a connecting seam. He can’t figure out how they work. There’s no way he can break them off.

            Squee sighs with annoyance and dejection. Then he looks through his glass cage with worry. Pepito is struggling to fend of Dib and Gaz without hurting them while Zim squares off with Mimi. He wishes he could help, but there’s nothing he can do in his position. All he can do is watch helplessly.

            “Intruder alert! Intruder alert!”

            Everyone freezes as the alarm starts going off.

            “Intruder?” Tak exclaims, “who could it possibly be?”  
            Squee spots something flying around near the ceiling. Or more like a couple somethings. One drops down and lands on his cage and he bursts into a big smile.

            “Shmee!” he exclaims. The bear grins at him as he tries to figure out how to free him.

            Meanwhile Gir plummets down from the ceiling, grabs Mimi’s large arm, and flings her across the room. She short circuits as she bounces off the wall.

            “Wahoo!” Gir cheers as he lands in a crouch. Minimoose squeaks as he hovers beside him.

            “Oh, I just got saved by my minions,” Zim groans as he rubs his forehead. “I am never going to live this down.”

            “Erg. Get over it and help me!” Pepito orders as he struggles to hold down Dib and Gaz. He has one arm wrapped around Gaz’s neck while he holds Dib back by his shirt.

            Tak shouts with frustration. “Computer! Initiate Protocol R! Target: the intruders.”

            “Initiating Protocol R,” the computer responds. A panel in the far wall slides open and a large army of SIR Units fly out and charge towards Shmee, Gir, and Minimoose.

            “What?” Zim exclaims with bewilderment.

            “Good,” Shmee smirks as he hops up on top of Squee’s cage. “A rematch.”

            He leaps headfirst into the robot army and takes out four before he hits the ground. Half the army goes after him while the other half goes after Gir and Minimoose. Minimoose doesn’t react at all; Gir cheers and races towards the army.

            “Zim, this is getting way over our heads!” Pepito warns as he mercy-wrestles with Gaz.

            “Relax,” Zim orders as he headlocks Dib. “The robots are focused on Gir and the others. They’ll be fine for now. Our priority is figuring out how to free Dib and Gaz from Tak’s mind control.”

            “Fine. Any ideas?” he asks as he twists Gaz’s arm around her back.

            “A couple. But they all require knocking them unconscious,” he replies as he tugs Dib’s arm and shoves his head away.

            “I would prefer to not hurt them too badly,” Pepito says as he dodges Gaz’s kick. “I’m sentimental like that.”

            “Fine,” Zim grunts as he blocks Dib’s punch. “We’ll call that a last resort. But it may become our only chance pretty soon.”

            “The reinforcements were pretty helpful,” Pepito comments as he catches Gaz’s slap. “Too bad there weren’t more.”

            Meanwhile, Tak watches the fight from her skybox with a frustrated scowl. This isn’t going nearly as smoothly as she would’ve liked. Who would’ve thought Zim’s minions would show up? And what’s with the living teddy bear? Nevertheless, they can’t hold out forever. She’ll win eventually.

            She starts to grin when something blasts a small hole in her ceiling. She cries out with surprise and spins around as a small, pudgy Irken and a brown cat with a chip in its ear fall through.

            “Wow, Shmee was right!” the Irken comments.

            “What? Who are you?” Tak exclaims.

            “I’m Skoodge, Zim’s best friend,” he replies as he gets into a battle ready position.

            Tak scoffs with disgust. She starts to say something but stops when she hears a low, guttural growl. She looks at the cat with a mix of fear and confusion. It looks really, really angry.

            “What…is…tha-?” Before she can finish, the cat yowls and leaps at her face. It digs it claws into her skin and metal plating and starts slashing away. Tak shrieks with pain and tries to yank her off but the cat remains practically fastened to her head.  

            Its paw smashes Tak’s cybernetic eye. Consequently, life appears in Dib and Gaz’s face. They both gasp and blink with surprise.

            “Dib? Gaz?” Pepito questions.

            “You guys are back!” Zim exclaims.

            “Ugh. Wha-what happened?” Dib groans as he rubs his head.

            “Tak had you guys under her control,” Pepito replies.

            “Tak? That’s right!” he exclaims and starts looking around frantically. “Where is she?”

            “Up there,” Zim replies as he points at her skybox. They can just barely see her wrestling with the vicious cat.

            “Well, let’s go get her,” Gaz orders.

            “Right. But first,” Zim grunts as he turns his attention to the robot army. Shmee and Gir are holding their own but there’s still too many. They’ll never be able to take them all down.

            “Minimoose!” Zim barks. The little, floating moose squeaks in response. “Fire!”

            His cheeks puff out and he starts glowing a light yellow. His little mouth opens up and a giant laser fires out. Shmee and Gir leap out of the way as it tears through the robot army and straight for Squee’s cage.

            “He’s gonna hit Squee!” Pepito cries.

            Squee stares at the incoming laser with horror before leaping back and covering his head.

            The laser blasts through the cage, creating a giant dust cloud before evaporating. Zim, Dib, Gaz, and Pepito look on with deep concern. Shmee is the only one who doesn’t seem worried- Gir and Minimoose too, but they don’t really count.

            The dust clears, revealing the cage utterly destroyed, and Squee curled up in the only surviving corner, inches from the blast zone.

            “Whoa,” he squeaks. Then he jumps to his feet and trots to the others.

            “Take these off,” he requests as he shows Zim his bound wrists. His spider legs easily slice them off.

            “Are you guys okay?” Squee asks Dib and Gaz.

            “Yeah.  A little woozy,” Dib replies.

            “My face hurts,” Gaz adds.

            “Yeah, sorry about that,” Pepito says sheepishly, “I tried to hold back, but you guys are tough.”

            “Battalion!” Zim barks. Dib, Gaz, Pepito, and Squee look at him with surprise.

            “Let’s get Tak,” he growls.

            They nod affirmatively.

            One of Zim’s spider legs extends to the skybox while the other three stick out behind him. Dib, Gaz, Pepito, and Squee grab hold. Shmee, Gir, and Minimoose hop on too.

            Zim’s extended leg yanks them towards the skybox and they smash through the window.

            “Nugget, heel!” Squee orders. The cat immediately hops off Tak’s face and sits obediently as his feet.

            Tak wipes blood from her face and looks up. Zim, Dib, Gaz, Pepito, and Squee stand over her with Skoodge, Gir, Minimoose, Nugget, and Shmee loyally by their side.

            “No!” she cries with frustration, “how? How do you always beat me?”

            “You always underestimate me,” Zim replies, “and you also underestimate my team.”

            Tak growls, “fine. Go ahead. Finish me off.”

            Zim cocks his head as he glares at her before spinning on his heel. “No.”

            “What? Why not?” she barks.

            “Because you’re just like me. Trapped on this planet, with nowhere else to go,” he replies, “and that is the best punishment I can give you.”

            Tak stares at him, dumbstruck.

            “Let’s go, guys,” Zim orders. Everyone follows him without a word. They hop out of the skybox with the help of Zim’s spider legs and exit the lab, leaving Tak to wallow in her self-pity.

            A few minutes later, the Battalion and their minions are walking down the street towards Zim’s house. Squee yawns and slouches, Nugget and the now seemingly lifeless Shmee hanging out of his arms.

            “I am exhausted,” he groans, “Zim, do you mind if I crash at your place for a few hours?”

            “Fine,” Zim replies, “you’re not gonna bring that rabid lab experiment though, are you?”

            “What, Nugget?” Squee questions, “she’s harmless…most of the time.”

            Dib awkwardly rub his neck. “Zim? Did you really mean what you said to Tak? About being trapped here?”

            “Well, yeah,” Zim nods, “because it’s true. I really do have nowhere else to go. But unlike Tak, I found something that makes staying worth it.  
            “What’s that?” Dib asks.

            “You know,” he grunts awkwardly and looks away. “You…guys…”

            “Aw,” Pepito coos and goes in for a hug.

            “No hugging,” Zim growls and shoves him away.

            “Do you think Tak is gonna try and get revenge again?” Gaz asks.

            “Let her try,” Zim scoffs, “we’ll just take her down like we always do.”

            The others grin either with pride or with weary as Zim laughs obnoxiously.

            The next Skool day, Dib and Squee seat themselves in their first class as the bell finishes ringing.

            “Johnny was pretty upset about the door being off the hinges,” Squee says, “and then when I told him a giant army of robots attacked, he got more upset that he didn’t see that.”

            “He sure is childish,” Dib comments, “uh, don’t tell him I said that.”

            Squee smiles then blinks with surprise. Dib follows his line of sight and spots Tak, in her human disguise, walking through the classroom door.

            She stops and they stare at each other.

            She huffs and marches to her desk with her head held high. Dib and Squee look at each other worriedly.

            “Well, as long as she behaves herself, I guess we can be classmates,” Squee shrugs.

            “I suppose,” Dib groans, “but she better not set one Irken claw out of line.” 

            Ms. Bitters enters the room and class begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I'm sure you guessed that Kat was Tak before this but I still didn't want to give anything away. Anyway, this story was based off my very, very, very old Invader Zim fanfic, Not Quite Un-Right- https://www.deviantart.com/murderousmanic18/gallery/41949146/Not-Quite-Un-Right (if you're interested)- in which Zim, Dib, and Gaz team up with my OC Kio to stop Tak from destroying the Earth. Spoilers, it ends with the Membrane Labs exploding and Zim barely escaping and believing that Tak died in it.


	80. Fanatics 41

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Battalion investigates a school with a bad history.

The Mystery of North Arc High

 

            “She’s an alien!” Dib barks as he points at Kat.

            Everyone in the cafeteria looks at him with annoyance.

            “It’s true!” he insists, “she’s an alien bent on destroying the world. And her name isn’t even Kat!”

            “You used to say the same thing about Zim,” Poonchy points out, “except for the Kat part…”

            “Yeah well…I mean, it’s still true…” Dib says awkwardly, “he’s just not my enemy anymore. But Kat is! She’s an evil alien.”

            Kat- or Tak in disguise- looks at him with irritation before going back to poking at her lunch meat.

            “It’s true!” he says again.

            “You’re crazy,” someone scorns and everyone starts laughing. Dib groans with defeat and sits down.

            “Aw, don’t feel bad, Dib,” Squee says reassuringly, “all visionaries are seen as crazy in their time. It’s only many, many years in the future when society finally sees the truth in their words.”

            “You’re right, Squee,” Dib nods, “I know I’m right. I just need to be patient.”

            “History will vindicate me!” he cheers as he jumps to his feet and punches the air. Unfortunately, he also punches the lunch tray of a passing student, causing mashed potatoes to fly all over his face.

            “The potatoes! They burn!” he screeches as he goes running off. Zim, Gaz, Pepito, and Squee watch him apathetically.

            “I can’t wait to read those history books,” Pepito comments as they go back to their food.

            After lunch, everyone goes to their respective classes. Squee and Dib go to Ms. Bitters’ class and open their history books, just like their other classmates, Kat included.

            Ms. Bitters drift into class like a specter and stands behind her desk. “Today we are going to learn about a local legend: North Arc High School. Is everyone familiar with it?”

            “Yeah. All of the students and teachers were massacred one day like ten years ago,” one of the students replies, “the mayor just reopened it like recently.”

            “You’re almost completely correct, except for one fact. Not all of the students and teachers were killed,” Ms. Bitters says darkly, “at least one of both survived.”

            “Really? I didn’t know that,” another student comments.

            “It was one of the students that caused the massacre,” she states, “he escaped and was never seen again.”

            “How do you know this?” Dib asks sceptically.

            “Because,” she hisses, “I was the only survivor.”

            A dark awkwardness fills the air.

            “Before I was a teacher here, I taught history at North Arc,” Ms. Bitters explains, “one day an infamous serial killer at the time broke into the school during classes. But he wasn’t able to kill anyone before the student did.”

            “I was the only one who survived but I don’t believe that was intentional. I truly believe he thought he killed everyone before he stumbled away and disappeared.”

            Squee flinches when he sees Ms. Bitters is staring right at him.

            “Is anyone familiar with the name ‘Cessation’?” she asks.

            Squee rubs his neck. “Uh c-cessation is the process of ending or being ended.”

            “Yes,” Ms. Bitters nods, “but it was also the surname of the student who committed the massacre.”

            “What was his first name?” Dib asks.

            Her eyes never leave Squee. “Johnathan.”

            Squee cocks his head suspiciously. She almost said that like she expects him to understand something.

            After class ends, everyone heads to their lockers to grab their textbooks for the next class. They’re all talking about North Arc High, many of them freaked out by Ms. Bitters’ story.

            “I’m surprised you’re not interested in North Arc, Dib,” Squee comments, “a sordid past like that, I’m sure it’s crawling with ghosts.”

            “I checked it out once a couple years ago,” Dib admits, “the atmosphere, even outside the school, was dark. It was practically suffocating. I didn’t stick around long. Even I have my limits.”

           He rubs his chin with intrigue. “Still, with you guys it might not be so bad.” He grins excitedly. “Wanna check it out?”

            “Not really,” Squee replies.

            “Too late. Our evening plans are set,” Dib chimes, “let’s go tell the others.”

            Squee sighs and follows the excited Dib.

            After Skool, Zim, Dib, Gaz, Pepito, and Squee head to North Arc High. The sun is just starting to set as they walk through the city.

            “So Ms. Bitters knows the name of the murderer, she probably knew what he looked like too,” Pepito muses, “how come they never found him?”

            “She said he ran away after he was done,” Dib replies, “nobody could find him. He probably never used that name again.”

            Squee watches the sun set on the horizon thoughtfully. “It’s easy for anything or anyone to disappear in this city.”

            “You think he’s still alive?” Gaz asks.

            “Maybe,” Squee shrugs.

            “If there are any ghosts at the school, maybe they’ll know what happened to him,” Pepito suggests.

            “Maybe,” Dib nods, “maybe they’re haunting him.”

            “What do you think, Zim?” Squee asks, “you’ve been pretty quiet.”  
            “Johnathan Cessation is a weird name,” Zim comments.

            No one’s really sure how to reply to that.

            They arrive at North Arc High. There’s a fence surrounding the entirety of the schoolyard, with the gate electronically locked.

            “Are we really gonna break into a school just to see ghosts?” Gaz questions sceptically.

            “Yes,” Dib responds immediately and excitedly.

            “There are security cameras,” Squee states as he spots the cameras on the school wall.

            “I can release an EMP and shut them down,” Zim says as a small, remote-like device with an antennae pops out of his PAK.

            “That would be awesome, Zim,” Dib chimes excitedly.

            Zim grins as he points the remote at the school and presses the button. “There. That should do it.”

            “How long will they be down?” Gaz asks.

            “Until somebody fixes them,” Zim replies as he puts the EMP away. “So we got all night.”

            “Actually I promised my mom I’d be back by midnight,” Pepito says, “it is a Skool night after all.”

            “Momma’s boy,” Gaz comments.

            “Midnight’s plenty of time,” Dib states and climbs the fence. The others follow. They jump to the other side with ease and head to the front door.

            “You think there’s an alarm?” Pepito asks.

            “If there is, my EMP would’ve shut it off,” Zim points out.

            “Still, we gotta be careful about this,” Squee says, “we can’t just break in. We gotta be subtle.”

            “Right,” Zim nods. His spider legs are released from his PAK and tear the handles off the doors, breaking the lock. They swing open.

            “What do you think ‘subtle’ means?” Squee asks with irritation.

            “Oh, relax, no one will know it was us,” Zim scoffs.

            “Come on,” Dib orders and enters the school. Everyone else follows closely.

            It’s dark and silent. Each of their footsteps echo throughout the halls. There’s no sign of anyone. Anyone alive at least.

            “What do you think, Squee?” Dib asks.

            “Schools are always scary after dark,” Squee replies, “but I don’t sense anything evil, so that’s a good thing. Actually, I don’t sense much of anything.”

            “Yeah, me neither,” Pepito adds, “it’s really quiet.”

            “I don’t understand,” Dib mutters, “last time I was here this place was super creepy.”

            “Yeah, but it’s been remodeled and reopened since then,” Gaz points out, “maybe all of the ghosts have moved on.”  
            “Hey, guys,” Zim calls. Everyone stops and looks at him. He’s looking down a hallway going to the right. “Check that out.”

            At the end of the hallway is a small stone pillar with a plaque that has a bunch of names written on it. Hanging on the wall above the pillar are six different group portraits.

            “In honor of the victims of The North Arc Massacre,” Dib reads from the plaque.

            “These must’ve been all the students and teachers then,” Pepito states as he motions to the portraits.

            “Damn, that’s a lot of people to kill at once,” Gaz comments, “that Johnathan Cessation must’ve been a real psycho.”

            “What do you think, Squee?” Dib questions. “Squee?”

            Squee doesn’t hear him. He’s staring intently at the portrait of the ninth graders. There’s a boy in the picture who is standing separately from the rest of the group. He’s not even looking at the camera. He’s staring at the ground with an angry but lonely expression.

            Squee squints and cocks his head curiously.

            “What’s wrong?” Pepito asks.

            “That boy,” Squee replies as he reaches towards the picture. “He…he almost looks like…”

            He touches the picture before he finishes. A sudden shock tears through his body. He gasps with pain and surprise and convulses as visions flash through his mind.

            “Squee!” everyone exclaims with concern.

            Shmee leaps out of his bag and rams into Squee’s arm, knocking his hand off the picture. Squee gasps and falls backwards. Everyone catches him and steadies him on his feet.

            “What happened?” Pepito asks worriedly.

            Squee pants as he covers his face with one hand and clutches Shmee with the other.

            “I-I saw it,” he breathes.

            “Saw what?” Dib asks.

            “The massacre.”  
            Everyone gasps with surprise.

            Squee looks through his fingers at the wall. “There’s something behind that wall.”

            They look at it with suspicion.

            “Well, let’s check it out then,” Dib declares.

            They gently remove the portraits and move aside the pillar until the wall is completely clear. Then Zim’s spider legs pop out of his PAK and cut out a doorway. They remove the severed section of the wall and put it aside. Behind the wall is more hallway.

            “Looks like they just bricked this part up during renovations,” Gaz observes.

            It’s even darker than the rest of the school, with all of the windows sealed up. Dib grabs a flashlight from his jacket and shines it through the doorway. Everybody gasps at the sight.

            The walls and floor and even the ceiling are completely covered in dark blood stains. One can hardly tell what colour the hall used to be. There are chalk lines drawn on the floor: one lone outline in the middle of the hall, a couple of random stragglers strewn throughout, and then an odd looking one at the end of the hall. It’s large and roundish with multiple hands and legs. It’s like it was drawn around a pile of bodies.

            “It’s worse than a battlefield,” Zim comments.

            Dib and Gaz shudder and look away. Then they notice Pepito and Squee still staring. They both look horrified and mesmerized at the same time.

             Zim, Dib, and Gaz can’t see what they see. And what they see are hundreds of spirits; transparent adults and teenagers of different ages sitting or floating throughout the hall. They’re all looking at them with wide, glowing eyes.

            “Well, Dib, this place is haunted alright,” Pepito nods.

            “You can see them?” he asks.

            “Oh, yeah.”

            “You smell like him.”

            Pepito and Squee look at the one of the spirits with surprise. He’s an adult sitting in the middle of the hall, in the lone chalk outline. All of the other spirits seem to be avoiding him. He looks up at the kids, his eyes narrowed.

            “You smell like him,” he says again, “just like him.”

            “Squee,” Shmee warns.

            “Zim,” Squee says warily as he steps back.

            “What’s wrong?” Zim asks.

            The ghost falls forward and starts crawling towards them.

            “Seal it up,” Squee orders.

            Zim, Dib, and Gaz look at him with surprise while Pepito grabs his guitar from his back and drops into a fighting stance. The ghost starts crawling faster.

            “Where is he?” he hisses.

            “Now Zim!” Squee cries.

            Zim’s spider legs lift up the severed section of the wall. They quickly plant it in the hole and weld it back in place.

            The kids pant with fear and exhilaration as they stare silently at the wall. Something suddenly bangs against it loudly. They scream and jump back.

            “Where is he!” the ghost shouts again.

            “What is that?” Dib asks.

            “There’s a poltergeist in there,” Squee replies, “it’s really dangerous. We need to make sure it’s sealed in there good.”

            Dib nods. He suddenly taps Zim’s PAK, opening it, and reaches inside.

            “Hey, what are you doing?” Zim asks with annoyance.

            “Grabbing some stuff,” Dib replies as he pulls out a textbook and small box.

            “You keep your stuff in my PAK?” Zim questions with bewildered.

            “Sure. I keep lots of stuff in there,” he shrugs, “it’s very spacious.”

            Zim huffs and folds his arms with irritation.

            Dib flips open his book to a page titled ‘How to Seal Angry Spirits,’ and begins reading the instructions, mumbling to himself as he does so. He opens the box and pulls out a small pouch of dust, a vial of some kind of clear liquid, and a paintbrush. He sprinkles a line of dust on the floor along the wall then uses the paintbrush to draw weird symbols on the wall in the clear liquid.

            “Does anyone have a lighter?” he asks.

            Squee hands him a lighter from his bag.

            “Why do you carry a lighter?” Pepito asks.

            “Same reason I carry bombs and knives,” Squee shrugs.

            Dib uses the lighter to light the dust. Then he quickly douses the flames with the rest of the clear liquid. The kids exclaim with mild surprise as smoke explodes upwards from the doused dust and then quickly disperses.

            “There. That’ll keep it locked up,” he says confidently.

            Squee starts to smile with relief when a loud screech pierces his and Pepito’s eardrums. They shout with pain and surprise and fall to their knees as they clutch their ears.

            “Guys, what’s happening?” Zim asks as he, Dib, and Gaz kneel beside them with concern.

            “This won’t work!” the ghost screams from the other side of the wall. “I’ll get out! I’ll find him! You can’t stop me!”

            Pepito and Squee pant as everything quiets down. They stare at the wall then look at each other worriedly.

            “Are you guys okay?” Dib asks.

            “Yeah, we’re fine,” Pepito nods as they stand up. “Let’s uh let’s get out of here.”

            They quickly put the pictures and pillar back in place and leave the school. They don’t bothering doing anything about the busted doors.

            Everyone’s quiet as they head to Dib’s house. Zim, Dib, and Gaz look back at Squee and Pepito worriedly as they lag behind. They’re both staring at the ground nervously.

            “Who…who do you think he was talking about?” Squee asks.

            “Probably Johnathan Cessation,” Pepito replies.

            “N-no, no. I mean when he said ‘you smell like him’,” he clarifies.

            “Oh. Uh, I’m not sure.”

            “Do you think he’ll get out?”

            “Well, if Dib’s witchcraft is up to snuff, then he shouldn’t.”

            “Hey, it’s not witchcraft!” Dib snaps, offended.

            “Ha! Weird dust and vials of liquid?” Pepito scoffs, “the only things you were missing were a cauldron and an Eye of Newt.”

            “That was a legitimate spell for trapping spirits,” he insists.

            “Spells aren’t witchcraft?” he retorts.

            Dib spends the rest of the walk home loudly explaining how his paranormal spells aren’t witchcraft. Pepito grins with amusement, Zim sighs wearily, and Gaz rolls his eyes with annoyance.

            Squee smiles with relief but it fades away as he stops and looks back towards North Arc High. He clutches Shmee to his chest. He’s got a really bad feeling about that ghost.

            Meanwhile across the city in house number 777, Johnny grunts with surprise. He looks up from his work and scratches his head.

            “You ever get a feeling that some dark, evil monster just declared your death?” he asks.

            Beside him, strapped to a table, a living man with his chest cavity wide open barely groans in response.

            “Ah, well,” Nny shrugs, “it’s probably nothing.”


	81. Fanatics 42

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Devi blows off some steam with some friends.

Girls’ Night

 

            Devi sighs as she collapses in a chair. She rolls her neck and looks out into the café as the other waitresses finish wiping down all the tables. The lunch rush just ended and the café is finally empty, so they can all take a short break.

            Devi rests her chin in her hand and closes her eyes. She’s tired but at least today’s been relatively calm.

            The bell dings as someone walks in. She starts to glower at whoever is interrupting her break when she recognizes the group of people. It’s Mr. Fuck, Psycho Doughboy, Sickness, and Reverend Meat with their friend Aron and some girl Devi doesn’t know. They look around the café with interest and curiosity.

            “What a cute little shop,” the mystery girl comments.

            “Is this really where Devi works?” Eff asks sceptically.

            Devi winces and retreats into the kitchen before they can spot her.

            “Welcome,” Tamika, today’s greeter, says jovially. “Please take a seat wherever you like.”

            “Thanks,” Reverend Meat chimes.

          “The tables are kinda of small,” Sickness comments, “do you mind if we push two together?”

            “No, go ahead,” Tamika replies.

            They push two tables together and surround them with chairs before sitting down. Devi growls with annoyance as she watches them.

            “Devi, come on, it’s your turn,” Payton says as she nods at them.

            “I don’t wanna serve them,” Devi growls.

            “Why not?”

            “I know them. I’d rather have absolutely nothing to do with them if I can help it,” she huffs.

            “Fine. Samantha, you go,” Payton orders.

            Samantha nods and approaches their table with menus. They talk for a minute before Samantha returns.

            “Uh they’re asking for you specifically, Devi,” she says apologetically.

            Devi groans. “Well, tell them I’m not here.”

            “Devi, come on, we know you’re here,” Sickness sings.

            “Yeah, why are you hiding from us?” Reverend Meat adds, “we just wanna order food.”

            Devi growls. She grabs her phone and sends a quick text to Squee and Tenna.

            “What are you doing now?” Payton asks.

            “I’m not going out there without reinforcements,” Devi replies.

            “Aren’t you being a little dramatic? They don’t seem that bad,” Samantha says.

            “You don’t know them like I do,” she points out as she eyes them suspiciously. They’re sitting quietly, either reading the menu or staring off into space.

            A few minutes later, the door’s bell rings as Tenna and Squee rush in, followed by a bored looking Nny.

            “Hey, look! It’s Nny and Squee!” Eff says excitedly.

            Johnny groans with disgust while Tenna and Squee look at them curiously.

            “Finally, you guys made it,” Devi sighs as she leaves the kitchen and hurries over to them.

            “You said in your text it was an emergency,” Squee points out, slightly annoyed.

            “What? You don’t think it is?” she asks as she motions towards the Night Terrors.

            Squee glances at them. They wave happily.

            “They’re not doing anything wrong,” he notes.

            “But why are they here?” Devi asks, exasperated.

            “Looks to me like they just wanna order food,” he replies.

            “Yeah, that’s all we want,” Rev shrugs, “but the service here is terrible.”

            Squee sighs and rubs his forehead. “Devi, I gave them freedom which means they’re free to do whatever they want. Even if that means eating where you work with psychopathic, money burning vampires.”

            “What?” Devi questions.

            “Money burning?” the mystery girl scoffs and points angrily at Squee. “You think you’re funny, you little hors d’oeuvre? Well, the joke’s on you! My parents cut me off. I’m not rich anymore!”

            She laughs victoriously before slowly dwindling into a self-pitying whimper.

            “Wow, you uh really showed me,” Squee grunts sarcastically.

            “You two know each other?” Sickness asks.

            “Sure,” he shrugs as he, Nny, and Tenna sit in the table next to them. “My friends and I trespassed into her yard and she and her brother tried to eat us.”

            Johnny, Devi, and Tenna glare at her accusingly.

            “Serena Von,” she grunts and half waves. “Nice to meet you.”

            “What a coincidence,” Eff laughs, “she tried to eat Dee, and that’s how we met.”

            “She attacked me one night when I was walking through an alley,” D-boy explains, “she took one taste of my blood and ended up retching for hours.”

            “It was even more disgusting than that alien boy’s blood,” Serena gags.

            “So you guys don’t have real human blood,” Johnny muses, “that’s interesting.”

            “Yeah,” D-boy nods, “anyway, one thing led to another and she’s living with us now.”

            “Don’t you all live in a van?” Devi scoffs.

            “Yup. It’s pretty crowded now,” Reverend Meat comments.

            “You guys live in a van?” Squee exclaims.

            “Hey, don’t knock it,” Eff snaps, “we’re doing our best.”

            “Well, clearly,” Tenna comments, “I mean how are you making so many friends? Like, who’s that kid?”

            “That’s Aron,” Reverend Meat replies, “he’s our roommate and landlord.”

            “So the owner of the van,” Johnny grunts.

            “Well, kind of, except he never really owned the van either,” Sickness shrugs.

            “You’ll have to forgive his silence,” Eff says, “this is the longest he’s been out in public when it didn’t involve school or grocery shopping so he’s a little spooked.”

            “He’s like a bunny,” D-boy comments.

            “I go out in public,” Aron argues quietly, “I’m a reporter after all.”

            “Right,” Eff scoffs, “and when was the last time you’ve written a story?”

            He doesn’t reply. Just looks away awkwardly.

            “So like can we order now or what?” Reverend Meat asks.

            “Yeah, come on,” Sickness adds, “in return for letting her live with us, Serena is using what’s left in her bank account to treat us to an actual meal.”

            “Fine,” Devi groans and grabs her waitress pad and a pen. “What do you want?”

            “Just bring us one of everything,” Reverend Meat replies.

            “I don’t have that much money,” Serena points out.

            “Fine. What about this ‘Family Platter’?” he suggests.

            “Alright,” Devi grunts, “and to drink?”

            “Water,” Serena replies.

            “Hold on. Do we have to be an actual family to qualify for the Family Platter?” D-boy asks, “cause I kind of hate almost everyone here.”

            “Almost?” Eff questions.

            “Well I can tolerate Aron,” he says.

            “Thanks, Dee,” Aron mutters.

            “Shut up, Aron,” D-boy snaps.

            “Alright, one Family Platter with water coming right up,” Devi says with annoyance before slinking to the kitchen.

            “She’s awfully surly,” Aron comments.

            “Yeah, why’s she hate you guys so much?” Serena asks.

            “Beats me,” Eff shrugs.

            “Seriously?” Johnny grunts.

            He, Tenna, and Squee glare at them with an ‘are you serious?’ look.

            “Okay, we may have been partly responsible for nearly ruining her- and their- life a couple times,” Reverend Meat admits.

            “Yeah, but that was in the past,” Sickness points out, “is it too much to ask for a little forgiveness?”

            “Yes,” Devi states as she puts some glasses and a pitcher of water on the table.

            “Come on,” Eff whines, “Squee forgave us.”

            “I don’t really hold grudges,” Squee shrugs.

            Devi just scoffs and folds her arms angrily.

            “You’re too uptight,” Serena comments, “you need to get out more.”

            “I tell her that all the time,” Tenna says.

            “I’m starting to think I get out way too much as it is,” Devi groans.

            “No, I’m serious,” Serena says, “in fact, what time do you get off work?”

            “Nine,” she replies.

            “Perfect. Tonight when you get off work, you, me, and Sickness are gonna have a girls’ night,” she declares.

            “Girls’ night?” Sickness questions.

            “Girls’ night?” Tenna exclaims excitedly, “I wanna come!”

            “Sure,” Serena chimes.

            “A girls’ night? With the doll who tried to ruin my life and a vampire who tried to eat my friend?” Devi scoffs.

            “Hey, come on,” Sickness sighs, “I’m not a doll anymore.”

            “Yeah and just because I’m a vampire doesn’t mean I’m evil,” Serena adds.

            “But you are evil,” Squee states.

            “Yeah but the two aren’t connected.”

            Devi scoffs with aggravation.

            “Come on, Devi,” Tenna urges gently, “you do need a night off. It’s been such a long time since we let loose. And I’ll be with you.”  
            She sighs with defeat. “Fine.

            “Alright!” Tenna, Sickness, and Serena cheer.         

            “We’ll pick you up once you’re done work,” Serena says.

            “You just keep your ‘girls’ night’ away from the van,” D-boy growls.

          “Don’t worry, mister grouchy,” she taunts, “we wouldn’t want you to cramp our good time.”  
            “So what happens on a girls’ night?” Sickness asks.

            “Well, we could do some bar hopping or maybe go to a club,” Tenna suggests.

            “I know some great places we can check out in the North End,” Serena says, “tonight you’re gonna party like a rich vampire.”

            Devi sighs while they excitedly discuss plans for the night. She looks at Squee and Nny with a sort of ‘help me’ expression. They both just shrug uselessly. Nothing can help her now. She just hopes she didn’t make a terrible mistake.

            At the end of the day, Devi changes into her street clothes and leaves through the employee’s back door with the other waitresses. After locking the door, she rolls her neck as she turns away and comes face to face with a beaming Tenna, Serena, and Sickness.

            “Time to go,” Tenna sings as they grab her and drag her away.

            “Go where?” Devi asks with surprise.

            “To the clubs,” Serena chimes.

            “But how are we gonna get around? Are we gonna walk to the North End?” she asks sceptically.

            “Honey, you’re rolling with a rich vampire,” she grins as they enter the street and approach a black limousine. “We don’t have to walk anywhere.”

            “You’re not rich,” Sickness points out.

            “Shut up! Tonight I’m ignoring my problems,” Serena barks, “and so should all of you.”

            She opens the door, revealing cushy leather seats, carpeted floors, and a champagne bottle in a bowl of ice.

            “You can really afford all this?” Sickness questions.

            “My brother hooked me up, let’s not get into it,” Serena admits.

            “You know what? You’re right,” Devi grunts.

            “Huh?” the others question.

            “Tonight I am going to ignore my problems,” she declares and climbs inside.

            “Alright! Girls’ night!” Tenna cheers and follows her. Serena and Sickness smile and do the same.

            “Sebastian, to the North End,” Serena sings. The driver gives her a thumbs up through the service window and they start driving.

            They drive for about an hour in awkward silence with only music to break it up. Finally they slow to a stop.

            “We’ve arrived at your first stop,” Sebastian announces.

            “Great, thanks,” Serena chimes and they all jump out.

            They’re at a large building with a long line of nightlife people outside the door. Music can be heard from inside and bright, colourful lights are streaming out of the high windows.      

            Serena marches past the line with Devi, Tenna, and Sickness in tow. Everyone waiting starts calling out to them, but she ignores them and goes straight up to the large bouncer by the velvet rope.

            “Hey, bro,” she smirks, “they’re with me.”

            The bouncer shakes his head. “Sorry, they ain’t on the list.”

            “Come on, man, you know me,” Serena whines, “you always let me in.”       

            “That was back when I knew you could slip me large bribes,” he scoffs.

            “So, what, you were only friends with me because I was rich?” she snaps.

            “I would hardly consider us friends. Do you even know my name?”

            She stammers angrily.

            “Either wait at the end of the line like everyone else or you can give me some other incentive,” he says slyly as he looks the girls up and down. They flinch with disgust.

            “I’ll drain you dry,” Serena snarls, baring her fangs.

            “Sounds kinky,” he comments.

            “That’s not what I meant!” she barks.

            “Come on, Serena,” Devi growls, “let’s just go.”

            “Yeah, we can go to a different club,” Tenna points out, “some place less exclusive.”

            Serena glares at the bouncer before spinning on her heel. “Fine. Let’s go.”

            They march back down the street, dealing with jeers and catcalls from the lineup. They arrive at the parking lot and stop abruptly with surprise.

            “Where’s the limo?” Devi asks as they look around.

            “Dammit, where’d he go?” Serena snaps as she pulls out her cellphone. “He did not just leave us.”

            She dials a number and holds it up to her ear. “Sebastian, where are you? What? Why? But Jeff paid you. So? God dammit!”

            She hangs up and growls with frustration.    

            “What’s wrong?” Sickness asks.

            “My dad doesn’t want Sebastian supplying me his services anymore,” Serena replies, “he’s completely cut me off.”

            She sighs miserably and collapses to her knees. “I can’t believe this.”

            Devi, Tenna, and Sickness look at her sympathetically. Devi rubs her neck awkwardly before kneeling beside her.

            “I’m sorry you’re having a hard time,” she says, “but we can still have a fun night if you want.”

            “How?” Serena asks sceptically.

            “Well, you may not be able to party like a rich vampire anymore, but you can party like a poor artist,” Devi grins.

            Serena cocks her eyebrow with intrigue while Tenna and Sickness smile.

            “Okay,” Serena nods, “how do we do that?”

            “First we need to get a pedestrian limo,” Devi replies as she stands up. “Otherwise known as a taxi cab.”

             They head to the road and Devi hails a nearby cab. They squish into the backseat.

            “Will you drive to the South End?” Devi asks.

            “Sure,” the driver replies.

            “Great. Then go to Y’s Liquor Store,” she demands.

            The drive is about an hour through the dark, mostly empty streets. They finally stop in front of a 24 hour liquor store. Devi pays the driver and they hop out.

            “Okay, the second part to partying like an artist is pooling together all of our cash to buy booze,” she states.

            Serena and Tenna dig in their pockets, pull out all of their money and hand it to Devi. Then they look at Sickness expectantly.

            “Don’t look at me,” she says, “I’m not even one hundred percent sure what real money looks like.”

            “Fine,” Devi shrugs, “this should be enough.”

           They go inside and pick out a six pack of beer, a four pack of rum coolers, and a 26 of vodka. They just barely have enough to pay for it all.

            “Great,” Serena grunts as they leave. “Now we have alcohol but where are we gonna drink it? We don’t have money to pay for another cab.”

            “Don’t worry,” Devi says reassuringly, “the place I wanna go we can walk to.”

            “Is it like a club?” she asks as they start walking.

            “Not exactly,” she replies.

            Devi leads the way down the street. They stride down the sidewalk for a while until they’re near the outskirts of the city. Then they cut across the road to a grassy field leading up to a high cliff with just a single tree and a fence around the edge.

            They make it to the top and Devi smiles as she looks out over the cliff.

            “I know it’s not an exclusive club,” she says, “but I think it’s cool.”

            “Wow,” Serena breathes in awe. From here, they can see so much of the city. In the dark it’s nothing but bright lights speckling pitch black with the moon and stars high above.

            “I love coming here,” Devi says, “it’s the best way to forget your problems. Here, nothing bad can reach you. You can just look down on it.”

            “You should be a poet, D,” Tenna comments as she cracks open a beer.

            “Thanks,” Devi snickers.

            They all sit in a circle on the grass and prepare a drink- beer for Tenna and Devi and coolers for Serena and Sickness.

            “Alright, we need a toast,” Serena says, “um…to new problems and new friends.”

            “And to old problems and old friends,” Tenna adds.

            They clash their drinks together and start drinking. Just four friends in the moonlight.

            The next morning, Devi’s eyelids creak open and she immediately slams them shut. She groans as she rubs her forehead, her skull splitting apart from her righteous hangover.

            She tries opening her eyes again and the first thing she sees is a silver, metal ceiling.

            “Huh?” she grunts and looks around. She quickly realizes she has no idea where she is or how she got here.

            She’s in what appears to be a long van that’s been completely gutted. It’s got no seats, except for two bucket seats at the front. The entire back is filled with three beds that have been squished together and covered with sheets, blankets, and pillows of varying quality. By the far left corner of the beds, there’s a plain, cloth hammock hanging from the ceiling by two pegs. In between the beds and front seats, on the only patch of floor in front of the side door, is a small generator connected to a power bar. Plugged into that is a mini fridge, a space heater, a laptop charger, and a hot plate. Sitting next to it is a small wooden chest.

            “What…where am I…” Devi mutters.

            “Morning, Devi,” Sickness chimes as her cheery face pops into view.

            “Oh, Sickness,” Devi groans as she rubs her temples. “Don’t talk so loud.”

            “Sorry,” she says a bit quieter. “How do you feel?”           

            “Like garbage,” she replies, “where are we? And where’s Tenna? And Serena?”

            “Right beside you.”

            Devi slowly turns her head and sees Tenna and Serena right beside her, passed out and snuggled into the blankets.

            “And you’re at my house,” Sickness adds.

            “Our house.”

            Devi forces her head up and spots Psycho Doughboy sitting on the hammock. Mr. Fuck is lying on the bed underneath him. Neither of them is wearing their jackets, bowties, or hats so they’re only distinguishable by their face paint and t-shirts. Devi also notices Reverend Meat sitting on the beds, an amused grin on his face, and Aron sitting in the driver’s seat, watching with his head peeking around the headrest.

            “You call this a house?” Devi comments drily as she lays her head back down.

            “Ugh, would you guys shut up?” Serena growls, “my head is exploding.

            “Serena,” D-boy snaps, “what was the one thing I asked you not to do last night?”

            “Bring our girls’ night to the van,” Serena replies plainly.

            “And what did you do?”

            “Well, evidently I brought our girls’ night to the van. Although I cannot for the life of me remember when or how.”

            “Ugh, me neither,” Devi adds, “I remember drinking on the hill and then somebody suggested vodka shots. Was it me?”

            “I don’t know,” Serena replies, “might’ve been me.”        

            “Actually it was Tenna,” Sickness explains, “she wanted a drinking contest between the four of us. About seven shots in I realized alcohol doesn’t affect me but by then you guys were far gone. It was pretty funny. But I was worried about leaving you alone so I got Aron to get us a cab and brought you all here.”

            “That was very considerate of you, Sickness,” Serena says.

            “That depends on how you look at it,” D-boy grumbles.

            “Oh, don’t be such a baby, Dee,” Sickness scoffs, “Aron said they could stay as long as they want so you have no right to complain.”

            “I’ll complain as much as I want,” he mumbles.

            “We can stay here for the day?” Devi questions, “good. If I get up I’ll definitely vomit. And I know from experience that Tenna will be asleep for at least twelve hours.”

            “I thought you wanted to stay as far away from us as possible,” Eff points out.

            “I can’t exactly be picky right now,” she retorts, “besides, this place is a lot cozier than I expected.”

            “Thanks,” Reverend Meat beams, “we’ve really spruced it up since we moved in.”

            “Yeah, in hindsight I could be doing a lot worse right now,” Serena mutters, “thanks for helping me forget about my problems for the night. It was fun.”

            “I should be thanking you,” Devi says, “if you hadn’t pushed me into going out with you guys, I would’ve just spent another night wallowing in my apartment. But I had fun. We should do it again. But maybe no drinking contests.”

            “Agreed,” Serena nods.

            They both groan painfully as they close their eyes. Last night was fun, despite the after effects, and they both really needed it. In the end Devi’s glad she didn’t make a terrible mistake and not go out.


	82. Fanatics 43

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dib, Squee, Tak, and Maddie take place in a science fair contest.

The Science Fair

 

            The bell rings, indicating the start of class. Dib, Squee, and their classmates quickly open up their science textbooks, expecting to jump right into the lesson like every day before. But today, Ms. Bitters doesn’t immediately start lecturing. Instead she passes out a sheet to everyone with the words ‘Science Fair Competition’ printed at the top.

            “Competition?” Dib questions.

            “That’s right,” Ms. Bitters grunts, “this class will be competing in a district wide contest with other tenth grade classes from our rival schools. The winner of the contest will receive a check for $10,000 for their school.”

            “What about the students?” a classmate asks.

            “They get nothing,” she replies, “this is for the benefit of the schools. Now I’m sure I don’t need to tell you how much our Skool could use this money, considering most of your desks and textbooks are being held together by duct tape, but the Skool board doesn’t want to put pressure on you.”

            “So I will,” she snarls, “if none of you get first place, then I will subject you to a week of pop quizzes, each with surprise subjects. You won’t know what the next quiz will be on.”

            The whole class whines with dismay.

            “Silence!” Ms. Bitters snaps, “now then, you can either make a project by yourself or in a group of up to four people. The fair is next Monday. All science classes until then will be dedicated to your working on your projects. So get to work.”

            Almost everyone groups up, Dib, Squee, and Maddie included. They shove their desks together and sit in a huddle.

            “Thanks for letting me work with you guys,” Maddie says, “this will be a lot easier with a group.”

            “Don’t worry about it, Maddie,” Squee replies.

            “Alright, now we just have to think of a project,” Dib states.

            Squee glances across the room and notices Kat sitting all by herself.

            “Hey, let’s ask Kat to join,” he demands.

            “What?” Dib exclaims, “are you forgetting who Kat really is? The evil alien Tak who tried to ruin our lives?”

            “I know,” Squee nods, “but right now she’s just Kat, a lonely new kid with no friends.”

            “She probably wants to work alone,” he points out.

            “Let’s just ask her,” he insists.

            “Fine,” Dib groans.

            He and Squee head across the room and stop by Kat’s desk. She looks at them with annoyed curiosity.

            “Wanna join our group,” Dib half-asks with zero enthusiasm.

            Kat scoffs. “Why would I wanna do that?”

            “It’ll be easier working in a group than by yourself,” Squee points out, “and everyone else is grouped up.”

            “Please,” she grunts, “my resources and intellect far surpass everyone here, grouped up or not.”

            “Great. Then team them up with ours and we might actually win this thing,” he insists, “you know, possibly.”

            Kat looks at them uncertainly before relenting. “Fine. But only because I can tell you need my help.”

            “We don’t need your help!” Dib snaps, offended.

            “Then why ask for it?” she retorts as she walks by.

            Dib glares at Squee irritably. He forces a smile and shrugs, “it might be fun.”  
            Dib groans as they join Kat and Maddie and sit at their desks.

            “Alright, so what are we gonna do?” Squee asks.

            “I was thinking we do a simple experiment on the existence of ghosts and-,” Dib starts to explain excitedly.

            “No,” Squee says sternly, shutting him down.

            “How about we create a machine capable of destroying the Earth’s core-,” Kat starts to suggest.

            “No,” Squee says sternly, shutting her down.

            He groans as he rubs his forehead. “Maddie, you got any ideas?”

            She wordlessly shakes her head.

            “Well, what do you think we should do?” Kat asks impatiently.

            “I don’t know,” Squee admits, “but we should choose something that we’d all enjoy doing, as a group. Right?”

            “Teamwork is such a human concept,” she scoffs.

            “You realize you’re supposed to be human, right,” Dib points out.

            She glares at him with annoyance. “Fine. We’ll ‘agree’ on something.”

            “But it still raises the question: what should we do?” Dib asks.

            Nobody can think of anything. They sit quietly as they contemplate the question.

            Squee absentmindedly rolls around a Smiley Bomb in his bag. He glances at it and a lightbulb goes off.

            “How about we build a bomb?” he suggests.

            “Huh?” Dib questions.

            “So you can build a weapon but I can’t?” Kat scoffs.

            “We won’t use it,” Squee points out, “it can be hypothetical. I mean the bomb will be real but its power will be theoretical.”

            “Yeah,” Dib grins, “we can make it incredibly large and powerful, theoretically speaking of course.”

            “What’s the point of a theoretical weapon?” Kat questions.

            “It inspires psychological fear,” Squee replies, “how much damage can it do? As much as you can imagine.”

            She nods, intrigued. “I do like psychological warfare.”

            “Do any of you know how to build a bomb?” Maddie asks.

            “Sure,” Squee shrugs.

            “Yup,” Dib nods.

            “Of course,” Kat scoffs.

            “Well, okay. Then I’m in,” Maddie agrees, “now we just need supplies.”

            “I have some,” Kat says.

            “Me too,” Squee adds, “well, they’re Johnny’s but I’m sure he’ll let us use them.”

            “We can even build it in my lab,” Kat declares.

            “No, we’ll build it in my lab,” Dib insists, “that way we won’t have to worry about you using it.”

            “Fine,” she growls.

            “So when should we start?” Squee asks.

            “We’ll spend the next few days designing it, deciding on what chemicals to use, and then this weekend we’ll put it together,” Dib replies, “sound good?”

            The others nod affirmatively.

            They spend the next few science classes designing and composing their bomb on paper. Dib and Kat know more about chemicals so they argue about which ones to use and how much. Squee does most of the designing, deciding what it should like, how big it should be. Maddie doesn’t say much but she learns a whole lot.

            When the weekend rolls around, they all meet at Dib’s house. Both Kat and Squee have brought some supplies. They all head downstairs to Membrane’s lab and get to work.

            “Alright, everyone suit up,” Dib orders as he hands out goggle, gloves, and dust masks. “We’re dealing with dangerous chemicals here; we need to be safe.” 

            “Right,” Kat grunts as she rests her box of supplies on a table. “I brought all the chemicals and metals we’ll need, some of which you can only get off Irk. If we use these, then our bomb will not just be hypothetically powerful but literally powerful as well.”

            “Wouldn’t it be like cheating if we use materials from other planets?” Maddie questions.

            “Maddie’s right. We should use Earth materials only,” Squee says as he rests his smaller box of supplies on the table. He takes out a vial of some kind of strange liquid and presents it to everyone. “Like this one.”

            “What’s that?” Dib asks.

            “It’s some kind of chemical Johnny created,” he replies proudly, “it doesn’t have a name. It’s used in my Smiley Bombs.”

            “Um maybe we should just stick with simple chemicals,” Dib suggests delicately, “like nitroglycerin.”

            “Fine, if you wanna be pedestrian,” Kat scoffs.

            “Alright,” he booms, “let’s get to work.”

            They spend all day Saturday and Sunday working on their bomb, mixing the chemicals to make them as volatile as possible and welding together metals to create the container before combining it all.

            Finally they meet Monday morning before school to get it ready for the science fair.

            “What are you doing, Squee?” Kat asks.

            “Just putting on the finishing touches,” he replies as he runs a paintbrush over the surface of their bomb. Once he’s done, he hops off the table and stands next to his group, so they can bask in the greatness.

            They have created a giant bomb. It’s five feet in diameter, completely round, and silver with a purple smiley face with closed eyes painted on.

            “Why the smiley face?” Kat asks.

            “Gives it personality,” Squee replies, “I call it The Blissful.”

            “It’s beautiful and unapologetic in its ridiculousness,” Dib comments, “I love it.”

            They sigh proudly as they stare at it.

            “So how are we getting it to the fair?” Maddie asks.

            They blink as the realization hits them. This bomb weighs over 150 pounds and is extremely volatile. Just how will they get it to the fair?

            About an hour later, the fair begins. It’s being held in the auditorium of Saint Double U’s. Tables have been set up for all the participating groups to display their projects on. Students from the High Skool, Saint Double U’s, G.F Hiller, and North Arc are preparing their displays, getting ready for when the judges start doing rounds. There’s only one empty table on the High Skool’s side.

            Ms. Bitters skitters back and forth angrily. “Where are Dib, Squee, Kat, and Maddie? They are late. If they do not show up, they will be punished severely.”

            The doors to the auditorium are suddenly thrown open and Zim marches through proudly. Behind him, Gir comes in holding The Blissful above his head and carrying it with ease. Dib, Squee, Kat, and Maddie scatter around him like mosquitos, making sure he’s careful.

            “Don’t let it slosh around too much,” Squee squeaks.

            “Don’t drop it,” Maddie adds.

            “Don’t bang your stupid head on it,” Kat snaps.

            “Now gently- GENTLY- rest it on the table,” Dib orders.

            Gir gently places the bomb in the middle of the table. The kids whimper worriedly when it wiggles slightly then sigh with relief when it sits still.

            “You’re late!” Ms. Bitters snaps as she seemingly materializes behind them.

            “Sorry, Ms. Bitters,” Dib says, “getting it here proved harder than we expected.”

            “Just get your display ready,” she demands, “the judges are going to start doing rounds soon.”  
            “The judges will have no choice but to pick our amazing project,” Zim states proudly.

            “You mean _our_ project,” Kat snaps, “you had nothing to do with this, Zim. So beat it.”

            “My dog carried it here because your cat wasn’t strong enough,” he points out, “that makes me a contributor.”  
            They glare daggers at each other.

            “We appreciate the help, Zim,” Dib says, “now why don’t you go scope out the competition?”

            “Yes, Zim will,” he declares, “come on, Gir.”

            The little robot cheers as he trots away at his master’s feet.

            “Idiot,” Kat growls.

            They quickly set up the display for their project, which includes a list of the chemicals they used and hypotheses on how large the explosion could be.

            “Alright, looks good,” Dib nods approvingly, “so who are we competing against?”

            They turn around to get a look at the nearby projects.

            “Hm, a baking soda volcano,” Squee observes.

            “Unoriginal,” Dib scoffs.

            “A model of the solar system.”

            “Juvenile.”

            “Growing mold.”

            “Disgusting,” Maddie gags.

            “A model of a death ray.”

            “Pointless,” Kat comments.

            “Ha, we got this contest in the bag,” Dib laughs victoriously.

            “Well, well, well.”

            They turn around at the voice and Dib and Squee scoff with disgust. Jeff Von saunters up to them, an arrogant grin on his face.

            “Who’s that?” Maddie asks.

            “Jeff,” Dib replies, “a vampire who tried to eat us once.”

            “Because you broke into my house,” Jeff retorts.

            “We didn’t break in,” Dib snaps.

            “Yeah, we were forcefully escorted in by your butler after trespassing into your yard,” Squee points out.

            Jeff scoffs and looks at their project. “So what’s this? A water balloon?”

            “A highly explosive water balloon,” Dib exclaims dramatically.

            “This is our bomb, The Blissful,” Squee states.

            “Bomb?” Jeff snorts, “is it even explosive?”

            He moves to tap it but Squee grabs his wrist and stops him.

            “Don’t! Do you want to blow us all up?” he snaps.

           “Don’t touch me, peasant!” Jeff barks as he rips his arm out of Squee’s grip, baring his fangs.

            “Don’t mess with our project, vampire!” Dib retorts as he steps in front of Squee.

            “Yeah, get lost, worm,” Kat adds as she joins him.

            “Or what? You’ll gang up on me?” Jeff scoffs, “you think I’m scared of you?”

            Dib and Kat growl angrily before Squee steps between. “Guys, we can’t start fights. We might get disqualified.”

            “Ha, what are you? Scared?” Jeff taunts.

            “No, I’m civil,” he retorts, “well actually I am a little scared but that’s mostly just my default setting.”

            Jeff just rolls his eyes.

            “So, Jeff, what’s your project?” Dib asks critically.

            “How fast blood flows out through different wounds,” he replies.

            “You really enjoy sticking to your archetype,” Squee comments.

            “Oh, and a bomb is something special,” Jeff scoffs.

            “It’s better than blood,” Kat retorts.

            “Nothing’s better than blood,” he snaps.

            “Don’t you have anything better to do than bug us?” Dib grunts.

            Jeff shrugs. “Judging doesn’t start for another ten minutes.”

            They stand there quietly in awkward silence for a second.

            “Go away!” Kat shouts with annoyance.

            “Fine. But you’re not gonna win this contest,” Jeff warns, “the only way your lame project could win is if something happened to all the other projects and you won by default.”

            “That would still be winning!” Dib snaps after him as he walks away.

            “Jeez, you guys sure attract some weird characters,” Kat comments.

            “Like you’re one to talk,” Dib retorts. 

           “Hey,” Zim says as he walks over, Gir hanging out of his arm and Pepito and Gaz behind him.

            “Hey, guys,” Squee smiles.

            “Wow, this is so cool!” Pepito exclaims excitedly as he looks at The Blissful.

            “Thanks!” he chimes.

            “Is it powerful?” Gaz asks.

            “It could, hypothetically, destroy the whole city,” Dib replies.

            “Cool,” she nods approvingly.

            “I took a look at the other projects,” Zim says, “most of them are boring and sad but a couple could threaten your win. Want me to sabotage them?”

            “No,” Dib, Squee, and Maddie say quickly.

            “We can sabotage them ourselves,” Kat states.

            “But we won’t,” Squee says firmly, “if we win, we’ll do it fairly.”

            “You guys are definitely gonna be one of the top runners,” Pepito says confidently, “what’s cooler than an actual bomb?”

            “Attention, everyone,” a faculty member says into a microphone. “The judging is about to begin. All contestants please stand by your displays and be prepared to explain them. Everyone else, the confection table is open. Feel free to help yourself.”

            “Oh, snacks,” Gaz chirps.

            “Good luck, guys,” Pepito says as they walk away, leaving Dib, Squee, Kat, and Maddie with their science project.

            “Alright, you guys ready?” Dib asks.

            “Yes,” Kat booms.

            “I-I guess,” Squee mutters.

            Maddie just shrugs.

            The judging committee consists of three adults, each holding some sort of degree in some sort of science. They start doing their rounds, going to each display and asking questions about it. All of the students are on edge as they watch and wait for their turn.

            The judges arrive at The Blissful. Maddie keeps her eyes on the floor, Squee forces a smile, and Dib and Kat stand up straight and proud.

            “This is The Blissful,” Dib announces, “a giant grenade.”

            “Is it even explosive?” one of the judges asks and bangs on the bomb. The kids squeak and duck under the table.

            The judges look at them with confusion. When nothing happens, Dib is the first to compose himself and stand back up.

            He chuckles nervously. “Ah, um, the chemicals we used when mixed together are incredibly volatile. However, since we had no ethical way of testing the bomb, we are not entirely sure just how powerful it might be. We do have hypotheses though. At its weakest, we believe the explosion could reduce at least half the city into a dustbowl, with not even skeletons left behind.”  
            “And at its most powerful?” another judge asks.

            Dib considers the question and looks at Squee for his opinion.

            Squee shrugs. “The whole country?”

            “This is quite fascinating,” the third judge comments.

            “Where did you kids find chemicals capable of creating this?” the first judge asks.

            Dib, Kat, and Squee fidget awkwardly.

            “W-well, my dad is Professor Membrane, so,” Dib shrugs.

            The judges whisper to each other as they write something down. Then they nod respectfully and move on.

            The kids all sigh with relief.

            “Alright, I think we did pretty well,” Kat comments.

            “Well, I did all the talking,” Dib points out.

            “You’re the best at it,” Squee says.

            “I’m not good in high pressure situations,” Maddie mutters, “except for in video games.”

            “In any case, the hard part is over,” Dib sighs.

            “Yes,” Kat nods, “now we just have to hope the judges choose ours as the obvious winner.”

            The judging continues on for quite a while since they have a lot of projects to look over. Dib, Squee, Kat, and Maddie wait patiently at their table, quietly passing the time.

            At one point Dib glances at the confectionery table and his stomach growls.

            “I’m gonna get something to eat,” he says, “I missed breakfast this morning.”

            “I’ll come too,” Maddie declares.

            “Alright. You guys watch the bomb,” Dib orders as they start to walk away.

            “Uh huh,” Kat mutters half-heartedly while Squee half waves.

            Kat stands in front of the table, scanning the other projects throughout the room. Squee starts to lean against the side of the table, when it lurches under his weight.

            “I think the legs on this table are loose,” he mutters. He kneels down and looks under the table.

            While he’s doing that, Kat notices the group with the baking soda volcano failing to activate it for the judges. She snickers, “sad little worms.”

           Squee crawls under the table to get a better look. The volcano unclogs and explodes entirely, shaking the whole auditorium. The legs on the left side of the table give out. It collapses over top of Squee and The Blissful rolls off and across the floor. Kat screams with surprise and goes chasing after it.

            Zim, Dib, Gaz, Pepito, Gir, and Maddie return from the confectionery table to find Squee pulling himself out from under the half collapsed table, with Kat and the bomb missing.

            “Squee!” they exclaim and rush over to him. He sits up on his knees, looking incredibly frazzled.

            “What happened?” Pepito asks.

            “I-I-I don’t-don’t know,” he stammers as he rubs his head.

            Kat comes racing back. Dib storms up to her angrily.

            “What did you do?” he snaps.

            “Nothing!” she barks back, “the table gave out and the bomb’s rolling around the room and I can’t stop it!”  
            The kids gasp and look over at their giant bomb, rolling across the floor and bouncing off the walls like a ginormous pinball.

            It starts rolling back towards the displays. The kids scream and rush after it.

            “Gir, fetch!” Zim orders.

            Gir shouts as he leaps through the air and lands on the bomb in an attempt to stop it. It doesn’t work. It rolls right over top of him and then just keeps on going, leaving Gir squished on the floor like a piece of gum.

            “Gir!” the kids exclaim as they catch up to him. Zim picks him up by the leg and flings him out like he’s stretching out a blanket. He pops back out, a little woozy but otherwise okay.

            They look up at their bomb with despair as it continues rolling towards the displays. Many of the other students have noticed and shout with surprise as they rush out of the way.

            It bangs into tables, knocking science projects to the floor and rolling over them like a steamroller. Nothing slows it down, not even when it hits things. It just changes direction and keeps on rolling.

            “Come on!” Dib cries and they start chasing after it.

            “I can stop it with my spider legs,” Zim says as his PAK starts opening up.

          “No!” Squee exclaims, “if it stops too suddenly it might explode! We have to ease it to a halt.”

            “How?” Gaz asks. 

            “Uh i-if we can all grab it at the same time, we might be able to slow it down,” he replies.

            “Alright,” Zim nods, “we just gotta catch it.”

            They nearly catch up to it when it bounces off the wall and starts rolling towards them. They skid to a stop before racing away screaming.

            “Everyone jump out of the way and grab it!” Zim orders.

            The others nod before leaping to the sides. Then, as the bomb’s rolling by, they grab it.

            It’s so heavy it nearly rolls out of their grip. But they hold tight and slowly, slowly ease it to a halt.

            They let out a huge, collective sigh of relief when it finally stops. They pant as they look back and wince when they get a good look at the damage.

            The bomb damaged every single science project. Tables are knocked over, displays are lying on the floor, crushed or broken. Students are crying out with rage at all of their ruined hard work.

            Dib, Squee, and Maddie moan with regret while Kat simply shakes her head. Jeff stomps up to them and points at them dramatically.

            “Look what you did!” he barks, “you ruined everything!”

            “I-it was an accident,” Squee says quickly.    

            “Yeah. And you should count your blessings it didn’t blow up,” Kat adds as she pats The Blissful.

            The kids shudder when a sudden chill runs up their spine. They spin around as Ms. Bitters appears behind them, looking very angry.

            “You are gonna clean this entire mess up,” she hisses, “and you will all receive detention for the next two months!”

            “Aw!” they cry out with despair.

            “Excuse us,” one of the judges says, interrupting their lament. “We have an announcement to make. It is regrettable what happened to everyone’s projects but we’ve discussed it and we cannot host another science fair. We just don’t have the time.”

            “So group Z of the High Skool wins the competition with their project, The Blissful!”

            “What!” the auditorium explodes with outrage, except for the students of the High Skool and Ms. Bitters.

            “We won?” Squee questions with disbelief.

            “Wow,” Maddie comments.

            “Alright,” Dib chuckles, “nice work, team.”  
            “So do you still think we should get detention?” Zim asks slyly.

            Ms. Bitters gets over her initial surprise and glares at him. “Fine. No detention. But you’re still cleaning up this mess.”

            The kids groan as she slinks away.

            “Well, I guess we can’t win everything,” Pepito shrugs.

            “You think you won?” Jeff snarls.

            “Yeah,” Dib nods, “they just said we did.”

            “This isn’t over,” he warns, “you’ll pay for this.”

            They glare after him as he walks away.

            “I think this is payment enough,” Zim groans, “we’re gonna be here all night.”

            “I don’t see why we have to help,” Gaz scoffs, “it’s not like it was our project.”

            “So what should we do with The Blissful?” Kat asks.

            “Oh, can we keep it my house?” Squee suggests, “it’ll be safe there.”

            “Sure. But how will we get it there?” Dib questions.

            “Eh, we’ll figure that out later,” he shrugs, “one thing at a time.”

            The others nod agreeably before looking into the auditorium, and facing the death glares of all the other students.

            “What are you all looking at!” Zim barks.

            “Beat it!” Kat adds, “we got a lot of work to do!”   

            The students mutter angrily as they begrudgingly leave. The kids stare after them before looking back at the mess and sighing.

            “Right, let’s get to work,” Maddie grunts.

            They roll up their sleeves and clean up the mess that was the result of the surprisingly eventful science fair.


	83. Fanatics 44

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pepito goes through some changes.

Pepito Gets Stepped Up

 

            Pepito’s alarm goes off at seven o’clock. He groans and waves his hand to turn it off with his dark powers.

            It doesn’t stop.

            His eyes blink open. He rolls over and waves his hand again. But again it doesn’t work. So he shuts it off manually.

            After turning on his lamp, he sits up and stares at his hands. He tries to activate his powers. Normally when he does this a black, gas-like substance would start flowing around his hands. But this time there’s nothing. He doesn’t even feel anything.

            He blinks with confusion. “Uh oh.”  


            Squee walks through the sea of students until he reaches his locker. Zim and Dib are already there, grabbing their stuff.

            “Hey, guys,” Squee says.

            “Hey,” they respond.

            He looks around. “Pepito’s not here yet?”  
            “Guess not,” Dib replies, “he must be running late.”  
            Squee hums with concern and checks the time on his phone. The bell rings in less than five minutes.

            “Ah, he probably just slept in,” Zim shrugs, “you know how lazy he can be.”

            “Yeah, right,” Squee mutters and looks around.

           He spots him rushing down the hall, snaking through the other kids. He looks a little frazzled, with his crooked beanie, untied boots, and bag hanging out of his arms. He must’ve been in a rush.

            Pepito meets Squee’s eyes and starts to smile when he steps on his laces. He falls flat on his face and his bag flies out of his hands, his homework tumbling out. Dib and Squee both wince while Zim bursts into laughter.

            “Are you okay?” Squee asks while he helps him up.

            “Yeah, yeah I’m alright,” Pepito replies as he rubs his nose.

            “Are you sure?” Dib questions, “that was quite a spill.”

            “It’s no big deal,” he grunts and picks up his homework. He starts to open his locker when the bell rings. They look at him with uncertainty.

            “You guys go,” he insists, “I’ll see you in class.”

            They leave hesitantly while Pepito grabs the rest of his stuff.

            Homeroom goes by quickly and uneventfully and everyone leaves for their respective classes. Pepito seems quiet and distant. He doesn’t bother Zim as much as they head to their class. Ordinarily this would be a good thing, but Zim can’t help but wonder why.

            “What’s wrong with you?” he asks bluntly as they sit at their desks.

            “Nothing. What,” Pepito replies defensively.

            “You just don’t seem like your usual self,” Zim clarifies.

            “It’s fine,” he says, “I just got some stuff on my mind.

            “Okay,” Zim shrugs.

            “What, that’s it?” Pepito questions, “you’re not gonna ask what it is?”

            “Are you gonna tell me what it is?”

            “Do you care?”

            “Should I?”

            “I don’t know. Maybe.”

            “Well, what is it?”

            “It-I-um,” Pepito stammers and turns away. “Forget it, it’s nothing.”  
            “Sweet Irk, you are frustrating,” Zim comments, “just say what your problem is.”

            “Fine,” he grunts, “my powers aren’t working.”  
            “Why?”

            “It’s a human thing. You wouldn’t understand.”

            “Zim understands everything,” Zim snaps, offended.

            Before they can say anything else, the teacher walks in to begin class.

            “Forget about it, Zim,” Pepito whispers, “it’s not your problem.”

            “I am your leader,” Zim retorts, “and one of the downsides to that is your problems are often my problems.”

            “It’s fine,” he insists, “and don’t tell the others.”

            Zim huffs with annoyance. He leans forward in his chair and incessantly taps his fingers on his desk. He can’t even pay attention to the lesson- not that he ever does- because he’s so bothered.

            At lunch they sit at their usual table with Dib, Squee, and Gaz. They all make casual small talk about their classes or stuff that’s happened recently. Everyone’s calm as they enjoy their lunch. Except for Zim.

            He constantly taps his fingers on the table and glances at Pepito. Nobody really notices because Zim never sits still, but Zim is quietly going nuts.

            Finally he sticks his arms at his sides and takes a deep breath. “Pepito’s powers are gone.”

            “What?” Squee questions.

            “Zim!” Pepito snaps.

            “What do you mean they’re gone?” Dib asks.

            “Are you okay?” Squee asks.

            “I’m fine, I’m fine,” Pepito says quickly, “they’re not gone; I just can’t use them right now.”

            “Why not?” Gaz asks.

            Pepito groans and rubs his neck awkwardly. “It-it’s personal.”

            “Personal how?” Dib questions.

            “Are you sick?” Squee asks worriedly.

            “No,” Pepito replies. “It’s…” He sighs and says quietly, “it’s a puberty thing, alright?”

            “Puberty?” Gaz snorts.

            “Yes,” he snaps, “alright, look. My powers weren’t working this morning so I asked my dad about it. He said that as, you know, my body starts changing my powers are gonna change too. They kind of go into like a mini hibernation and when they wake up they’ll be even more powerful.”

            “That’s a good thing,” Zim comments.

            “Yes. That’s why I’ve been saying it’s not a big deal. It’s just a little weird knowing I can’t use my powers.”

            “How long does it last?” Squee asks.

            “Could be anywhere from a few days to a few months,” Pepito shrugs, “but he said that when they wake up, they’ll flourish in an extravagant way.”

            “That’s kind of weird,” Gaz comments.

            “Yeah, it’s got me a little worried,” Pepito agrees, “he almost sounded excited about it.”  
            “Well, if you ever need any help, just let me know,” Squee smiles.

            “Thanks,” he smiles back.

            The next couple weeks are difficult for Pepito. He has a hard time getting used to not having powers and keeps trying to instinctively use them.

            Sometimes it’s not so bad, like when he wants to grab something that’s not close by. He used to use his powers to float the item to him so he wouldn’t have to get up. Now he just has to move a couple feet.

            Other times it causes problems, like when he tries to put something away. He used to just let the item go and float it right back to its spot. Now it falls to the floor. Doesn’t sound bad, except for when it’s something breakable.

            But fortunately these are all minor inconveniences that are easily dealt with. Thankfully his days are calm and quiet, spent at Skool, at home, or with friends. And other than Zim laughing at him, his mistakes have no real repercussions. But they’re still exhausting and after a month he’s feeling pretty worn down.

            “Man,” Pepito groans as he rests his head on the cafeteria table. “I didn’t think I relied on my powers so much. But after a month of not having them I realized I actually did. Who knew doing little things could be so tedious?”

            “Yeah, it must be a real pain living like an actual human,” Dib says drily.

            “It is!” Pepito agrees sincerely.

            He groans with irritation.

            “Aw, you’ll be okay, Pepito,” Squee says reassuringly, “it’s already been a month. You’ll get used to it.”  

            “Sure,” Pepito grunts.

            The bell rings, signalling the end of lunch. Squee sighs with irritation as they stand up.

            “Ugh, great. Time for gym,” he groans.

            “Gym isn’t so bad,” Zim shrugs, “it reminds me of physical training back at the academy. Although I would prefer a different drill sergeant.”

            They stop at their lockers to drop off anything they don’t need and head to the gymnasium. They change into their gym clothes and gather with the other students in the field behind the Skool.

            Sergeant Slab Rankle marches before them in a complete army uniform. He faces them, standing at attention with his hands behind his back.

            “Today we are practicing cardio!” he announces, his voice pounding against the kids’ eardrums. “To warm up, do five laps around the field.”

            “That’s a warm up?” Dib groans under his breath.

            “At least running’s easy for me,” Squee sighs with relief.

            Everyone takes off and starts jogging around the field. Squee takes it easy, sticking close to Pepito and Dib, while Zim goes all out to show how much faster than everyone else he is. He laps the group at least once before the end of the exercise.

            “Next we are doing suicides,” Rankle declares, “run to each peg! Go, go, go!”

            “Suicide is an appropriate name,” Pepito groans.   

            Suicides go on for a few minutes. Zim and Squee have the easiest time with it; they don’t run out of breath as fast as the other kids.

            Just as they’re finishing the exercise, a stabbing pain suddenly rushes through Pepito’s body. He stumbles to a stop at the end of the field and doubles over, clutching his stomach.

            “Pepito, are you okay?” Squee asks.

            “I-I don’t know,” he replies through gritted teeth. “Everything hurts?”

            “Got a cramp?” Dib questions, “you should pace yourself.”

            “No, I-I don’t think so,” Pepito croaks.

            “Want me to take you to the nurse’s office?” Squee asks.           

            “No, no that’s okay,” he insists, “I’ll just go to the washroom. Lunch is probably disagreeing with me.”

            “It was tomatoes and mayonnaise,” Dib nods understandably.

            “That was mayonnaise?” Squee questions with disgust. “I thought it was cottage cheese.”

            “Sergeant?” Pepito calls as he raises his hand. “Permission to be excused?”

            “Under what cause?” Rankle asks.

            “Abdominal distress radiating throughout my whole body.”

            “Hm, very well,” Rankle relents, “but make it quick.”

            “Thank you,” Pepito nods and jogs into the Skool. He hurries into the closest boys’ washroom and leans against the counter.

            The pain’s getting worse. He’s starting to realize that it’s not coming from his stomach; it’s coming from all over. He can’t pinpoint a certain spot. It feels like he’s being stabbed with a billion knives.

            He stumbles backwards, hugging himself as he moans through his gritted fangs. He leans against the door and collapses to the floor in a writhing ball. He grips his head, digging his fingers into his beanie, and shouts in pain.

            It slowly drifts away over a couple minutes. When it’s finally gone, Pepito pants with exhaustion. He pulls off his beanie and leans his head back as sweat practically rains down his face. When he’s feeling up to it, he pulls himself to his feet and moves for the sinks. His vision is blurred and he feels heavy. He’s having a hard time staying balanced as he stumbles to the counter.

            He finally makes it and sighs with relief as he leans against it. He goes to turn on the water when he notices his hands. His nails have grown at least three inches and they’ve turned completely black.

            He lets out a shuddery gasp as he looks at his hands then up at his reflection in the mirror. His breath catches in his throat. He stumbles backwards, loses his balance, and falls against the bathroom stalls.

            He sits on the floor, shocked and terrified, his trembling fingers resting on his face. The creature that looked back at him wasn’t Pepito; it was a monster.

            After gym class, Zim, Dib, and Squee head to the nurse’s office. Pepito never came back to class. Dib thinks he probably just went to see the nurse so they’re going to make sure.

            “Excuse me,” Dib says as he peeks into the office. “Is Pepito Diablo here?”

            “No, he’s not,” the nurse replies.

            “Oh, okay. Thank you,” he nods politely before leaving.

            “He’s not there,” Squee repeats worriedly.

            “Maybe he just went home,” Dib suggests.

            “But he’s not answering his texts,” he argues as he taps on his phone.

            “He might be resting.”

            “But it’s not like him to just ignore me.”

            “I’m sure he’s fine,” Zim insists, “he’s Pepito. He’s whiny, but he’s not a pushover.”

            “Right,” Squee sighs and nods. “You’re right. He’s fine. But after Skool I’ll get Johnny to stop by his house so I can check.”

            The bell rings and they hurry to their next class. None of them hear anything from Pepito. Squee can’t help but get more and more anxious. Dib feels the same and Zim does too, although he won’t show it.

            After Skool, they split off to head home. Squee promises to text them after he’s checked Pepito’s house.    
            Zim marches home quietly. His head is held high but his hand is kept on his phone. If something happens, he wants to know about it immediately.

            He lets himself into his house and runs into Skoodge. He looks really stressed and has been pacing back and forth across the living room.

            “Zim, you’re finally home,” he sighs with relief.

            “What’s wrong with you?” Zim asks.

            “Uh Pepito’s here,” Skoodge replies hesitantly.

            “What? Where is he?”

            “Um your room. B-but there’s something you should know.”  
            Zim ignores him as he rushes by and hurries upstairs. His bedroom door is closed and Minimoose and Gir are standing outside it. Gir keeps knocking on the door.

            “Monster man. Open up,” he sings.

            “Monster man?” Zim questions and stomps up to them. “Gir, get out of here.”

            His minions scurry away. Zim knocks on the door. “Pepito-? Wait, what am I doing? It’s my room and my base.”  
            He shoves open the door. It’s dark and at first he doesn’t see anything. Then he notices a mound of blankets in the far corner by his bed.

            “Pepito, is that you?” Zim asks.

            It’s silent at first and then Pepito quietly answers, “yeah. It’s me.”

            Zim huffs and marches up to him. “What are you doing here? Why’d you just disappear like that?”

            “Sorry. I-I didn’t know where else to go,” he mutters.

            “What’s wrong with you?” Zim orders. He starts to tug on the blankets but Pepito holds them tight.

            “Zim, no, don’t!” he cries.

            “What are you hiding?” he asks.

            He doesn’t answer.

            Zim snarls with annoyance. “You disappeared without so much as a word. Do you have any idea how worried Squee is? You owe it to him to let us help you. And you owe it to me for barging into my base! Where do you get off? So stop being so dramatic!”

            “Like you’re one to talk,” Pepito mumbles.

            Zim smiles with relief. At least he still sounds a little like Pepito.

            He grabs the blankets and gently tugs them but this time Pepito doesn’t hold them. So Zim whips them off. He gasps with surprise and steps back.   

            Pepito has undergone a total transformation. His horns, which were previously short and stubby, are now three feet long and three inches wide and they curl up over his head. His fangs have grown too; he can’t even fully close his mouth. He also has a pair of large, black wings and a hairless, black tail. And his feet have changed into black hooves. He doesn’t look the least bit human.

            “Wow,” Zim comments.

            “Yeah,” Pepito grunts, “when people say kids go through changes during puberty, I don’t think this is what they meant. But I’m sure it’s what my dad meant.”

            “This happened during gym?” he questions.

            “Yeah. It really hurt. I didn’t know what to do so I ran away. But I can’t go home like this so I came here,” he explains, “it was a long walk.”

            “I should tell Squee,” Zim says as he grabs his cellphone.

            “No!” Pepito barks and jumps to his feet. Zim steps back with shock. He’s gotten bigger too; he’s much taller and broader. Zim almost feels intimidated.

            “Please don’t tell Squee,” he begs, “I don’t want him seeing me like this.”

            “He’s worried sick about you,” Zim points out, “he deserves to know.”

            “No, no,” Pepito whimpers, “please. I don’t wanna scare him.”

            Zim stares at him for a second before sighing and putting his phone away. “Fine. So what are you gonna do?”

            “I don’t know,” he sighs.

            Zim groans and rolls his neck. “Well…I can set you up with a room in my lab. At least until you figure things out.”

            Pepito looks at him and smiles gratefully. “Thanks, Zim.”  
            He nods. “Come on.”

            He leads Pepito out of his room and to the elevator to the lab. He has a hard time walking on his hooves, like he can’t stay balanced very well. He sticks close to the wall.

            They take the elevator down to the lab and march into a metal corridor lined with locked doors. Zim opens one. It leads to a small, metal room with a simple, round bed against the far wall.

            “These are prison cells,” he says, “but I’ll leave yours open. You can come upstairs whenever you want. My computer seems to recognize you so it won’t attack but still don’t touch anything. And if you need me just text me or something.”

            “Right. Thanks, Zim,” Pepito sighs as he sits on the bed.

            Zim starts to walk away when Pepito calls him.

            “Hey! You promise you won’t tell Squee, right?” he questions suspiciously.

            “Yeah, yeah I promise,” Zim replies.

            As he walks away, he whips out his phone and sends a text to Dib.

            About an hour later, Dib, Gaz, and Squee arrive at the base. They all look confused and worried. Without saying many words, Zim immediately escorts them down through the lab and to Pepito’s room.

            “Pepito?” Squee questions as they step into the doorway.

            “Squee?” Pepito exclaims, “Zim!”        

          “Hey, I didn’t tell him,” Zim points out, “I told Dib. We didn’t make any promises about that.”

            “Wow, look at you,” Gaz whistles.

            “You look incredible, Pepito!” Dib says excitedly.

            “Are you insane?” he scoffs, “I look like a monster.”

            “I know!” he agrees.

            “Dib,” Squee snaps.

            “Oh, right,” he coughs awkwardly, “come on, guys.”

            Zim, Dib, and Gaz pretend to leave but they just duck behind the wall and listen in.

            Squee slowly approaches Pepito, careful not to make any sudden moves like he’s approaching a wild animal. Pepito doesn’t look at him but as he gets closer, he curls more and more in on himself until he’s in a ball.

            Squee sits next to him about a foot away. He doesn’t take his eyes off of him.

            “I was really worried about you when you didn’t answer your texts,” he says.

            “I didn’t want you to see me like this,” Pepito mutters.

            “Why not?”

            “I’m a monster.”

            “No, you’re not,” Squee argues.

            “Of course I am!” Pepito barks, “look at me! There’s not one part of me that’s human!”

            “Just because you may look like a monster doesn’t mean you are one,” Squee points out, “there are plenty of humans that are monsters but don’t look it.”

            “So I don’t scare you?” Pepito questions with disbelief.

            “Not even a little bit,” he replies sincerely. “You know why? Because I know you. And I know how you’re feeling. The only one who’s scared here is you.”

            Pepito looks at him, his eyes glistening. Squee looks back and smiles sympathetically as he takes his hand.

            “You’re not a monster, Pepito,” he says, “no matter what your father might say, no matter what transformation you might go through, you’re still you on the inside.”

            Pepito swallows a sob. He leans forward for a kiss but his large horns bonk Squee in the head. Squee chuckles lightly while Pepito looks away subconsciously.

            Squee leans forward and wraps his arms around Pepito’s neck, hugging him tightly. Pepito buries his face into Squee’s shoulder and squeezes him back.

            “Aw,” Dib sighs as he, Zim, and Gaz watch from the doorway.

            “Hey, look,” Zim gasps.

            They watch in awe as Pepito’s horns, wings, tail, and hooves slowly shrink away. After a few seconds, they’re gone completely and he looks just like his old self, stubby horns and all.

            Pepito and Squee split apart and he looks at himself with surprise. He cheers with elation and jumps into Squee. They both laugh as they fall onto the bed.

            “Love conquers all,” Dib states.

            “That’s so hokey,” Gaz scoffs and walks away.

            The next day Pepito strides through the Skool halls with his head held high and a skip in his step. His beanie is straight, his boots are laced up, and he’s feeling even more stylish than usual.

            He smiles as he approaches Zim, Dib, and Squee at their lockers.

            “Hey, guys,” he chimes.

            “Hey,” they reply.

            “How are you feeling?” Squee asks.

            “Great,” Pepito replies, “my powers are working even better than before. My dad was surprised when I told him I reversed my transformation. He didn’t seem too happy about it.”

            “Is it permanent?” Dib asks.

            “It seems to be for the most part. I mean my horns are a little bigger and my nails are sharper no matter how much I file them. And I have these bumps on my shoulder blades where the wings were.”

            “Hey, maybe that means you can sprout wings whenever you want,” Zim suggests.

            “Yeah, maybe,” Pepito nods, “there’re still a lot of my new powers I have to figure out.”

            “Well, if anything goes wrong, Squee will always be here to fix it with the power of love,” Dib states.

            “Stop saying that,” Zim groans.

            “What, it’s true.”

            They argue as they start walking to class. Squee and Pepito follow close behind. They smile at each other as their fingers lace together and, not for the first time, Pepito feels himself fall even more for Squee.


	84. Fanatics 45

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Devi accidentally makes a mess.

The Shmee Debacle

                    

            It’s a lazy Saturday afternoon. Johnny is half paying attention to a bad sitcom playing on the TV while he eats from a bag of dill pickle chips. Beside him, Squee is writing away in his notebook with Shmee sitting in his lap. Everything’s calm and content.

            The front door suddenly swings open and Devi and Tenna burst in. They’re both wearing sunglasses and holding giant cups of slushies with ice cream.

            “What’s up, my dudes,” Devi grunts.

            “Ugh,” Johnny groans with visible disgust.

            “Hey, guys,” Squee smiles, “you sure seem chipper.”

            “This is my first weekend off in months,” Devi chimes, “I’m enjoying it to the fullest.”

            “Or, you know, as much as we can afford,” Tenna adds.

            “You’ve been working a lot, Devi,” Squee points out.

            “Uh yeah,” she chuckles awkwardly. Then she takes a deep breath and asks, “what are you guys doing?”  
            “Not a damn thing,” Johnny replies.

            “Sounds great,” Tenna grins.

            “It kind of is,” Squee nods.

            “I’m gonna raid your fridge,” she announces as she walks to the kitchen. “You got anything good to eat?”

            “I don’t know. Probably not,” he replies.

            There’s a sudden knock on the door and Colton pokes his head inside. “Uh, Squee? Nugget’s attacking the Pitbull down the street again.”

            “Aw, jeez,” Squee groans as he moves his book and Shmee off his lap and stands up. “Alright, I’m coming.”  
            “Want me to come?” Nny asks.

            “No,” he replies sternly, “last time you came you threatened to tear the owner’s throat muscles out and use them to leash up his dog.”

            “Well, maybe if he wasn’t such an asshole and trained his dog better, I wouldn’t make threats like that,” he points out.

            “I’ll be right back,” Squee says as he leaves.

            Johnny starts flipping through the channels. Devi stands by the couch, absentmindedly sucking up her drink. She’s making a horribly obnoxious slurping sound that irks Johnny greatly.

            “Jeezus, would you fucking stop!” he barks.

            “What?” she snaps.

            “If you keep making that horrid slurping sound, I’ll stab the straw through your larynx!” he threatens.

            “Well, exc-uuuuse me,” Devi scoffs, “it’s thick. It’s not my fault. It’s mostly ice cream at this point.”

            “Then eat it with a spoon.”

            “It’s mostly melted. I can just slurp the rest up.”

            She starts sucking it up again, making that horrendous noise. Johnny cringes, like nails are being dragged against a chalkboard, and lunges for the cup.

            “Cut it out!” he shouts.

            “Get away from me!” Devi snaps. She yanks the cup out of his reach and a large scoop of ice cream and slushy juice splashes out and all over Shmee on the couch.

            Nny and Devi freeze and stare him as the blue starts soaking into his fabric.

            “Well, way to go,” Johnny grunts.

            “Oh my god!” Devi squeals. She quickly puts down her drink, picks Shmee up, and rushes to the kitchen.

            “What are you doing?” Johnny asks sceptically.

            “I gotta clean him off,” she points out as she hurries to the sink.

            “Oh, just leave him. Squee can take care of it when he gets back,” he shrugs.

            “No! Squee can’t see this,” she argues as she turns on the water. “He’ll be so upset.”

            “He’ll be fine,” Johnny insists then blinks as she starts to stick Shmee under the running water. “Oh, be careful putting him in the water. Some of his stitches aren’t entirely-.”

            The stitches on Shmee’s left arm immediately tear and stuffing pops out.

            “…sound…”

            “Oh no!” Devi squeals.

            “Oh, damn,” Tenna comments.

            Devi whimpers nervously as she looks around for a solution. She quickly decides and hurries for the door. “Johnny, come on! You gotta drive me to the café.”        

            “What? Why?” he questions.

            “Because I don’t have a car,” she replies.

            “Yeah but I mean why the café?”

            “Because Nana will be able to sew his arm,” she explains, “Tenna, you stay here and keep Squee occupied until we get back. Don’t tell him what happened.”  
            “Devi, this is unnecessarily excessive,” Johnny points out, “just wait for Squee.”

            “No! I don’t wanna upset him!” she snaps.

            “He’ll be more upset if you hide this from him.”

            “Just come on!” she demands.

            Johnny groans with defeat and grabs his keys. Devi peeks out the front door to make sure it’s safe then hurries to his car. Johnny lags behind, an entirely unimpressed glare on his face.

            He drives them to Café Latte. It’s pretty dead right now. The waitresses are all hanging around, lazily passing the time. They watch with confusion as Devi rushes into the kitchen, with Johnny a little ways behind.

            “Nana, I need your help,” she begs.

            “Alright, calm down,” Nana urges as she approaches her. “What’s wrong?”

            She shows her Shmee, with his ripped arm and blue soaked fabric. “You gotta fix this.”

            Payton peeks over Nana’s shoulder and cocks her eyebrow. “Isn’t that Squee’s?”

            “Yes,” Devi sighs.

            “Wow. He’s gonna be really upset.”

            Devi looks at Johnny accusatorily. “See?”

            He scoffs and rolls his eyes.

            “So can you fix him?” Devi asks.

            Nava takes the bear and examines him. “Well, I can sew his arm up but you’re gonna have to take him to a cleaners to get him clean.”

            “We don’t have that kind of time,” she whines.

            “Oh, actually I know a dry cleaners’ that’s really good at rush jobs,” Payton says, “they can get it clean today.”

“Awesome! Where are they?”

            Payton shares the address with Devi while Nana gets to work on Shmee’s arm.

            Meanwhile, back at the house, Squee returns with a pouting Nugget tucked under his arm.

            “Hey, how’d it go?” Tenna asks.

            “Fine. Nugget may be a troublemaker but she listens well,” he replies as he lets her go. She flicks her ear at him and trots away.

            Squee sighs and looks around. Tenna is standing awkwardly in the living room, just smiling at him.

            “Where’s Nny and Devi?” he asks. He notices a blue stain on the couch. “What happened to the couch? And where’s Shmee?”  
            “Oh, Devi just had Johnny drive her to the store so she could do some shopping,” Tenna replies, “they must’ve taken Shmee with them. Devi probably grabbed him without realizing. She’s weird like that.”

            Squee stares at her sceptically. She looks away, smiling nervously.

            “Tenna, what’s going on?” he asks.

            “Nothing,” she insists, “hey, let’s play some games. You guys got ‘Murder Kart’, right? It’s my favourite racing game. It’s the perfect combination of racing and gratuitous cartoon violence.”

            She starts setting up the game station when Squee kneels beside her. She turns her head and looks right into his big, brown eyes.

            “Tenna,” he says again, “what’s going on?”

            She whimpers weakly.

            Meanwhile, Johnny drives his car through the city, following Devi’s directions. They’re going to a really shady part of town, at least by Devi’s standards. Places like this don’t bother Johnny much. But he doesn’t like that they’re here for dry cleaning.

            “Here. It’s here,” Devi says as she points at a nearby building. Johnny pulls over.

            “Don’t you think this is getting out of hand?” he asks.

            “Do you have a better idea?” she questions critically.

            “Yes. Let’s go home,” he states.

            She scoffs and gets out of the car. Johnny groans and follows her.

            They go up to the front door and Devi tries to pull it open, but it’s locked.

            “No!” she exclaims with despair. “No, it’s closed!”

            “Well, it is Saturday,” Johnny points out.

            “Ugh!” Devi shouts with frustration. She looks around for a second before stomping back to the car. “Come on.”

            “Where are we going now?” Johnny asks with annoyance.

            “My place. I’ll get him clean myself.”

            “For fuck’s sake.”

            They get into the car and Johnny drives them to Devi’s apartment building. She hurries up to her place and Johnny lags behind her. When he catches up with her, she’s filling her sink with soapy water. Johnny groans with aggravation and stomps up to her.  

            “Hey!” she snaps as he yanks Shmee out of her hands.

            “Enough! You’re gonna tear his stitching again,” he barks.

            “I have to do something,” she insists, “it’s my fault. I gotta fix it. I don’t wanna upset Squee.”

            “He won’t be upset. Let’s just go back to my place and -.”

            “No! I can’t fail at this too!”

            Johnny stops with surprise. Devi covers her mouth and looks away, embarrassed.

            “Too?” he questions.

            Devi doesn’t say anything.

            “This isn’t just about Shmee, is it?” Johnny asks suspiciously.

            Devi scoffs and goes to sit on the couch. “Do you care?”

            “Does it matter?” Johnny retorts as he sits beside her.

            Devi sighs miserably. “It’s just…it’s getting hard. All I ever wanted to do was be an artist and spend my life painting. I knew it wouldn’t be easy but I thought I could do it.”

            “But it’s been how many years and my career hasn’t moved forward. I’m barely living paycheque to paycheque and I work so much I don’t even have time to paint,” she laments, “I…I just feel like I failed.”

            She stares at the floor, dejected and depressed. Johnny watches her blankly. He can’t exactly sympathize or empathize with her, but he gets the basic idea. Now he should probably help, but he doesn’t know how.

            He shifts uncomfortably, steels his nerves, and awkwardly plants his hand on her shoulder.

            She looks at him with surprise then cocks her eyebrow, unimpressed, when she sees he might actually start gagging.

            “You gonna be okay?” she asks.

            “Yeah, I’ll get through it,” he replies.  

            He lowers his hand and they both sigh.

            “Devi,” Johnny says, “I’m gonna tell you something, but you have to forget about it immediately and never, ever bring it up again.”

            Devi looks at him expectantly.

            He takes a deep breath. “You…scare me.”

            She blinks with surprise.

            “And not just because you kicked my ass before. Even when we first met I thought you were unnerving. It’s actually why I can tolerate you. You’re independent and smart and loud and, most importantly, you’re strong.”

            “You’re strong enough to follow your dreams and achieve them. And even if, later on, you decide you don’t want to anymore, you’ll be strong enough to make it through that too.”  
            Devi stares at him, bewildered. He deliberately avoids eye contact.

            She looks away, smiling. “Thanks, Nny.”  
            He sighs in response.

            Devi grins with amusement. “So I scare you, huh?”

            “God dammit, I never should’ve said that,” Johnny growls.

            She laughs and stands up. “Come on. Let’s go back to your house. I should tell Squee what I did.”

            Johnny sighs with relief and nods. They leave her apartment and head back to his house.

            When they arrive, Squee and Tenna are sitting on the couch playing video games. They pause as they walk in.

            “Hey, guys,” Squee smiles.

            “Hi, Squee,” Devi says nervously, “uh listen I um…”

            Squee smiles sympathetically and stands up. “Let me make it easier for you, Devi. Tenna already told me what happened.”

            “Tenna,” Devi snaps accusingly.

            “I crumbled, Devi,” Tenna cries and jumps to her feet. “I broke like glass. But can you blame me? Look at this.” Squee grunts in pain as she grabs his head and jerks it up so they can clearly see his face. “Look at this face. Can you lie to these eyes?”

            “No,” Johnny admits.

            Devi sighs as she reveals Shmee and his blue-stained fabric. “I’m so sorry, Squee. I shouldn’t have tried to hide it from you. I just didn’t want you to be upset.”

            “Devi, I wouldn’t be upset,” Squee says reassuringly, “it was an accident, I get that.”

            He smiles as he takes Shmee and rubs his fingers against the stains. “This isn’t the worse he’s gotten. He gets beat up almost as much as I do. You know, some kid at Skool threw him into the chili in the cafeteria. The easy part was getting him clean. The hard part was keeping Pepito and Zim from putting that kid in the hospital.”

            “What kid was it?” Johnny asks curiously.

            “That doesn’t matter,” Squee replies as he goes to the kitchen. “But you know Shmee is a little supernatural. He’s actually quite easy to clean but uh only by my hands.”

            He sticks Shmee under slow, running water and gently rubs the stains. The blue washes away instantly, mixing with the water as it disappears down the drain.

            “There. All clean,” Squee chimes. He squints at Shmee’s arm. “His stitching is different.”

            “I accidently tore his arm when I was trying to clean him,” Devi admits, “Nana sewed it back up.”

            “Wow. She’s way better than me,” he comments.

            He wraps Shmee up in a towel and sits on the couch with Tenna. Devi smiles and plops down beside him. She leans over and rests her head on top of his. Squee looks at her curiously but doesn’t question it.

            “Hey, Tenna,” Devi says, “Johnny said I scare him.”

            “Fuck sake!” Johnny barks, throwing his arms in the air.

            “Ha! Really?” Tenna laughs.

            “I never should’ve helped you feel better,” he snarls and stomps away.

            “Aw, Nny, come on,” Devi coos.

            “If it makes you feel any better, she scares me sometimes too,” Tenna says.

            Johnny ignores them as he disappears through the basement. The girls laugh joyfully, Squee smiling contently between them as he gently dries off Shmee.


	85. Fanatics 46

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mysterious monster vows vengeance against Squee...for some reason.

Attack of the Jealous Meat Monster

 

            Pepito and Squee stride down the street, hand in hand. They just finished a shopping trip. Pepito’s carrying a bag full of new clothes he just bought, mostly just a bunch of tank tops and skinny jeans.

            “Are you hungry?” Pepito asks as they start to pass by some restaurants. “We should get MacMeaties.”

            “Ew,” Squee whines, “MacMeaties is so gross. I can’t believe you like them. They’re so…slimy.”

            “I love them,” Pepito chimes, “their complete lack of organic ingredients and overall natural products makes for a great way to quickly recharge my dark powers.”

            “Well, you can get a burger or something if you want,” Squee says, “I’ll wait out here.”

            “Suit yourself,” he shrugs and hands him his shopping bag. “Hold my stuff. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

            Squee sits on a bench while Pepito runs into MacMeaties. It’s packed as usual with moms who are too lazy to cook or teenagers who can’t cook. Pepito gets in line and waits patiently for his turn.

            When he finally gets to the counter, the greasy, pimple-faced cashier greets him apathetically. “Welcome to MacMeaties. May I take your order?”

            “Yeah, I’ll have the double cheese with fries and a cola shake,” Pepito replies.

            “Thank you, sir. Please wait at the side,” the cashier commands.

            Pepito steps to the side and waits patiently, tapping his fingers on the counter. His bag of food is placed beside him after a couple minutes. He opens it up, takes a big whiff of the greasy delight, and sighs with ecstasy.

            He trots away happily. But little does he know he left a glowing black handprint on the counter.

            He joins Squee on the bench outside and pulls his burger out of his bag.

            “Gross,” Squee exclaims as liquid drips from the grease-soaked buns like a faucet.

            “Aw, it’s not that bad,” Pepito coos as he takes a big bite.

            “It absolutely reeks of grease,” Squee groans, “I can’t believe you like it so much.”

            “It’s good,” Pepito insists and shows him the burger. “Here, have a bite.”

            “No!” he gags and shoves his hand away.

            “Then how about a kiss?” he suggests and leans in.

            “No way. Your breath stinks,” Squee replies jokingly and pushes him away.

            “Come on, just one kiss,” Pepito begs.

            “No.”

            They laugh as they push against each other. Then suddenly a cloud of black steam explodes from Pepito’s shoulders and floats into the air.

            “What was that?” Squee asks.

            “I think it’s my body releasing energy or something,” Pepito replies, “I guess it’s a side effect of not having enough control over my new powers. It seems to happen more when I’m excited.”

            “Does it hurt?”

            “Nah. I don’t even feel it. And it doesn’t seem dangerous.”

            They watch the black steam float through the air for a few seconds before it dissipates into nothingness.

            “What do you wanna do now?” Squee asks.

            “More shopping,” Pepito replies as he finishes his burger. “We gotta buy you some clothes too.”

            “Fine. But I get to pick the store,” he insists, “I don’t want you buying me any tank tops.”

            “Whatever you want,” Pepito smiles as he wraps his arm around Squee’s shoulders and they walk away. But unbeknownst to them, they’re being watched by something unholy and growing, in the window of the MacMeaties.

            A few days later, Pepito’s mom, Rose, parks the car in the MacMeaties parking lot on the way home from Skool. The two of them hop out and go inside to order dinner. They get their food and sit at a table.

            “Smells so good,” Pepito purrs as he unwraps his burger.

            “You really like it here,” Rose comments, “do you come here a lot with Squee?”

            “Nah,” Pepito replies, “Squee doesn’t like it much.”

            He lets go of the wrapping, revealing black handprints.

            “Ah, damn,” he groans, “I leaked powers again.”

            “That’s been happening a lot,” Rose points out.

            “Yeah but it’s not a big deal. It doesn’t do anything and it disappears after a few seconds,” Pepito shrugs then points as the handprints suddenly disappear. “See?”

            But Pepito’s wrong. The leaked power doesn’t just disappear into thin air. It actually just moved. It slides across the floor, around the feet of the customers, through the kitchen, around the staff, and into the freezer. In the corner is a large pile of ‘meat’. It absorbs the powers.                    

            The meat shudders. “Master,” it gurgles.

            The meat starts moving across the floor like slug. It opens the freezer door and peeks out. The kitchen is full of employees working. It peeks past all of them and through the doorway into the restaurant, where it can just barely see Pepito sitting in a booth.

            The meat steps back. It shudders and a little piece of itself pops off. The little meat bit slides across the floor like a snake. It leaves the freezer, goes through the kitchen, and out into the restaurant, stopping by Pepito’s feet.

            “It’s fun teasing him sometimes,” Pepito says, “but you know I don’t wanna make him completely uncomfortable. I always stop before hitting that point.”

            “You’re very considerate of him,” Rose comments.

            “Well, he deserves it,” he points out, “sometimes I don’t know why he even wants to date me. Squee’s literally the best.”

            They finish eating and leave the restaurant. The little meat bit watches until they’ve disappeared into the distance. Then it goes back to the freezer and reintegrates with the large meat pile.

            It shudders and snarls, “Squeeeeeeee.”

            The freezer door suddenly swings open and an employee walks in. He stops when he sees the large pile of meat.

            It lunges at him. He barely has time to scream before it’s tackled him and devoured him completely.

            The other employees in the kitchen see it. They scream and scatter as they try to get away.

            It’s complete bedlam. The meat monster attacks and devours anyone who isn’t fast enough to get away. It gets bigger and bigger with each feeding. Civilians shriek with horror as they stampede out onto the streets.

            The monster, now almost bigger than the building, squeezes through the restaurant doors like Play-Doh. It shudders as it looks around, trying to determine where its real prey could be.

            It picks a direction and snarls, “Squee…will…die…”

            Meanwhile, on Grave Road in house number 777, Squee gets a sudden jolt down his spine. He looks up from his notebook and glances around. Johnny is sitting on the couch beside him, scrolling through TV channels.

            “You ever get the feeling that some dark, evil monster just declared your death?” Squee asks.

            “Sometimes,” Nny replies.

            “Hm,” Squee muses before standing up and walking away. “I’m gonna hide in my bed.”

            “Kay,” he grunts.

            Squee closes his bedroom door, crawls under his covers, and curls up into a ball in the middle of his bed, covered by his quilt.

            Meanwhile, across the city, Dib sits on his living room couch with Thai take-out in his lap as he prepares to watch Mysterious Mysteries of Strange Mysteries.

            The episode is just about to begin when it’s suddenly interrupted by a Breaking News update.

            “Aw,” Dib sighs, dejected.

            “We interrupt this program for an important news update,” the newscaster says, “moments ago a MacMeaties in the South End was brutally attacked by a strange creature.”

            Dib blinks, intrigued.

            “Many people have been injured or worse,” the newscaster continues, “the creature is still at large. Police are warning civilians to stay in their homes. Witnesses are describing the creature as hulking, lumpy, and brown, almost like a large pile of meat.”

            Dib jumps to his feet. “Gaz, put down your game! We got a mystery to solve!”

            A few minutes later, Squee gets a call on his cellphone. He answers it while remaining under his quilt.

            “Hello?”

            “Squee!” Dib exclaims, “did you see the news?”

            “No,” he replies plainly.

            “A monster just attacked a MacMeaties in the South End. We definitely have to look into it. Gaz and I are going to pick up Zim but since you and Pepito are closer you should just meet us there.”

            “Sorry, Dib, not today,” Squee sighs apologetically, “I’m sensing a lot of danger, even more than usual. So I’m gonna stay hidden and safe.”

            “Aw, what?” Dib whines, “come on, Squee. We could really use your help.”

            “No, you’ll be fine without me,” he argues, “I’m in no shape to help you out. Just go out there and do what you do best.”

            Squee hangs up before Dib can say anything else.

            “Your instincts could be a big help, you know,” Shmee points out.

            “Or they could just make me needlessly paranoid,” Squee mutters.

            About an hour later, Zim, Dib, and Gaz arrive at the MacMeaties. Police have already surrounded it with ‘Do Not Cross’ tape. There doesn’t appear to be any damage to the building, but there is a trail of some kind of brown liquid coming from the front door and disappearing down the street.

            “Well, at least it shouldn’t be hard to track this thing,” Zim comments as he eyes the odd trail.

            “Hey!” Pepito calls as he jogs up to them.

            “You’re late,” Dib snaps.

            “Sorry,” he says, “I had to walk. My mom went out.”

            He looks around for a second. “So Squee’s really not coming?”

            “No. He’s worried it’s too dangerous,” Dib scoffs.

            “He’s the only one with any sense,” Gaz grunts, “we should leave this to someone else.”

            “Like who? Who’s more qualified to handle this than us?” Dib challenges, “certainly not the cops.”

            “Dib’s right,” Zim nods, “the city is being endangered by some kind of dangerous beast. We’re the only ones who can stop it.”

            “You know,” Pepito muses as he stares at the building. “This is the MacMeaties I come to all the time.”

            “Have you noticed anything strange recently?” Dib asks.

            “No, I don’t think so,” he replies.

            “Well, nothing left to do but follow this thing and try to catch up with it,” Zim declares, “everyone in the car. Let’s go, team!”

            Everyone climbs into Dib’s car and they take off down the street, following the strange trail.           

            “So do we know what this thing is?” Pepito asks.

          “Not really. We don’t know much about it,” Dib replies, “only that it eats people apparently.”

            “Is it just me, or does the trail seem to be getting…wider?” Gaz questions.

            As they drive next to the strange liquid, it does actually appear to slowly be getting wider and wider.

            “It’s getting bigger,” Zim growls.

            “Where is it going?” Pepito asks.

            They follow for a few more minutes with no sign of the monster itself. But as they start going down familiar streets, Pepito gets a sinking feeling in his stomach.

            “Oh no,” he mutters.

            “What’s wrong?” Zim asks.

            “It’s going to Grave Road.”

            The others get the same feeling when they realize he’s right.

            “Squee’s not gonna like that,” Gaz grunts.

            Meanwhile Squee has managed to relax enough to almost fall asleep. But before he can drift off completely, he hears an odd sound. It almost sounds like distant gurgling and its midst, he hears a name. His name.

            “Squeeeee.”

            His eyes snap open. He groans with annoyance and buries his face into his mattress. “I don’t wanna know I don’t wanna know I don’t wanna know.”

            Johnny, who’s still sitting on the couch, hears it too. He blinks with confusion and stands up. “What the hell was that?”  
            He starts to open the front door when Squee suddenly bursts out of his room.

            “Johnny, don’t!” he exclaims.

            “Huh?” Johnny grunts questionably, his hand resting on the knob.

            The house suddenly shakes as a wet roar echoes from outside. The boys stand there, frozen and staring at each other.

            Squee’s cellphone suddenly starts ringing. He answers it.

            “Yeah?”

            “Squee!” Pepito exclaims worriedly, “that monster that attacked MacMeaties is heading right for Grave Road!”

            “Yeah, I uh I figured that out,” Squee mutters as he stares through the front windows with wide eyes. Through the boards he can make out some sort of giant, brown, lumpy mound.

            “We’re on our way,” Pepito says, “so just stay inside.”

            Before Squee can reply, the front door is suddenly smashed off its hinges and something long, brown, and lumpy knocks Johnny off his feet and onto the couch.

            “Nny!” Squee cries.

            Johnny groans and sits up, watching the odd appendage retract back out the door.

            “Squee, get your bombs,” he orders as he jumps to his feet.

            Squee nods and rushes into his bedroom. Johnny looks at his shirt and notices a wet, brown spot.

            “Ew, gross,” he hisses and rubs it. “Is that…grease?”

            Squee runs back out with his bag and joins Johnny in the living room. He slows to a stop as a smell wafts up his nostrils.

            “Wait a second,” he mutters, “I know that smell.”

            Johnny grabs his knives and they go outside to face the strange beast. As soon as they’re out the door, they’re face to lower abdomen with a 30 foot tall brown, lumpy monster that is much wider than the house.

            “Oh, my god,” Squee gapes, “it’s a giant meat monster.”

            The beast shudders and lets out a wet, guttural roar that shakes the timbers of all the houses on the block. Johnny and Squee are forced to cover their ears.

            An arm-like appendage extends from the meat mound and swings at the boys. They jump out of the way, barely dodging it.

            “Squee, get out your Smiley Bombs!” Johnny demands.

            Squee reaches into his bag and grabs a Smiley Bomb. He pulls the pin and whips it at the monster. It slams into the meaty mass and is immediately absorbed.

            Johnny and Squee blink uncertainly. The monster turns, seemingly facing them but it’s hard to tell since it doesn’t have a face.

            A hole suddenly explodes in the monster’s side where the bomb hit. It roars in pain as meat splatters all over the street.

            “Nice,” Johnny cheers.

            The monster seems crippled at first but quickly recovers. It straightens up as the severed meat slithers across the pavement and is reabsorbed into the main mound.

            “Aw,” Johnny sighs, dejected.

            “Shmee, what’s the deal with this thing?” Squee asks frantically.

            “Not sure,” Shmee replies, “but it feels a lot like Pepito.”

            “What?” Squee questions.

            “What’d he say?” Johnny asks.

            “Uh nothing much,” Squee lies.

            Johnny glances at him but lets it go. “So can we beat it?”

            “Um,” Squee mumbles nervously as the monster pieces entirely together. “Maybe if we can destroy it entirely, it won’t be able to restore itself?”

            “We’re gonna need a bigger bomb,” he comments.

            The monster roars angrily. It spreads out two appendages and prepares to whip them at Johnny and Squee, when a car suddenly slams through its bottom half at full speed. It squeals in pain as its top half topples to the road. The car swerves to a stop on the other side, and Zim, Dib, Gaz, and Pepito hop out.

            “Squee, are you okay?” Pepito asks worriedly.

            “More or less,” Squee replies.

            The monster gurgles angrily and swings at Squee. He jumps back to dodge and the tendril just barely misses him and slams into Johnny instead. He grunts in pain as it picks him up and wraps around him, slowly encasing him in meat.

            “Johnny!” Squee cries.

            “Battalion, move!” Zim orders.

            He, Dib, Gaz, and Pepito rush forward. Zim pulls out his laser guns and starts firing at the tendril’s shoulder. It breaks off little bits of meat but doesn’t do any real damage.

            Pepito grabs his guitar from his back and swings it, releasing a wave of black energy at the monster. It slams into its mass and is immediately absorbed. The monster shudders and grows a couple feet.

            “Thank you…Master.”

            “D-did it just say ‘Master’?” Gaz questions.

            “Pepito!” Squee shouts, “you created this thing!”

            “What?” Pepito exclaims.

            “It’s radiating with your power!”

            Pepito stares at him with confusion at first until the realization slowly hits him.

            “Oh,” he mumbles, “all that energy I’ve been releasing. This…this meat’s been absorbing it.”

            “Well, then why is it trying to kill Squee?” Dib asks.

            “It’s jealous,” Zim replies, “the creature wants all of its master’s attention but we all know Squee gets all of his attention.”

            “Great. A petty, jealous meat monster,” Gaz groans.

            “How do we stop it?” Squee asks frantically.

            “Pepito, you created it, you stop it,” Zim orders, “control your minion.”

            Pepito looks at him uncertainly before approaching the creature.

            “Hey!” he shouts, “stop this. Stop it right now!”

            The creature appears to stare at him for a second before looking at Squee. It swings another appendage at him. He squeaks with surprise and races back, dodging it and ducking behind Zim.

            “Hey! I said cut it out!” Pepito barks, “I’m your master! Obey me!”     

            “Squee…must…die…” the monster gurgles.

            “Can’t we resolve our differences some other way?” Squee asks nervously.

            “Squee…die!” it roars and starts to swing another appendage. It stops abruptly and shrieks in pain as a knife clenched in a fist bursts through its first appendage.

            Johnny rips through the meat, slicing through it with his knives until he’s able to free himself entirely and tumbles to the ground.

            “Nny!” Squee exclaims and races toward him, ignoring the danger. “Are you okay?”

            “No,” Johnny replies as he spits out meat. “I hate MacMeaties. But more importantly, did I hear that right?” He glares at Pepito. “This is all your fault?”

            “You could hear through all that meat?” Pepito questions with disbelief.

            “That’s not important,” Johnny snaps as he gets to his feet. “You better fix this mess you caused because if Squee gets hurt from this, I’m coming after you.”

            Pepito blanches with terror.

            The meat monster roars and swings at them with another appendage. Squee tries to grab Johnny and pull him out of the way, but he’s too slow. The appendage whacks into them both, knocking Johnny off his feet and picking Squee off the ground.

            “Squee!” Pepito exclaims.

            “Shmee!” Squee shouts as he’s pulled through the air. The bear immediately leaps to life and chops the appendage, cutting it in half. Unfortunately, the force of Squee being pulled was so strong that, instead of falling to the ground, he flies into the sky.

            “Oops,” Shmee mutters.

             Johnny, Zim, Dib, Gaz, and Pepito exclaim with surprise and horror. Squee screams as he flies through the air.

            The meat monster shoots an appendage after him, aiming to catch him. Pepito gasps and races forward.

            “Leave him alone!” he barks.

            Something suddenly bursts out of his upper back, tearing through his shirt. A pair of large, black and red wings spread out from his shoulders and he takes off into the air. He soars past the monster’s tendril and into Squee, grasping him tightly.

            “Pepito!” Squee gasps, “you have wings!”

            “Yeah,” Pepito breathes as they hover in midair, his wings flapping slowly. “I guess I do.”

            The meat monster hesitates for a second before cautiously stretching its tendril towards them. Pepito glares at it and waves his hand.

            “No!” he snaps.

            The appendage immediately falls apart into chunks of meat that splatter onto the pavement and stay put.

            “It’s not regenerating,” Squee observes.

            That fact greatly disturbs the monster. It lets out a shrill shriek and releases dozens of appendages.

            “Hold on tight, Squee,” Pepito orders. Squee wraps his arms tightly around Pepito’s neck as he lets him go. He spreads out his arms and waves them at the monster.

            “Enough!” Black energy flies out his hands and slam into the meat mound. It shudders for a second before exploding.

            Meat splatters all over the block; on the houses, the road, and the cars. Johnny and the others scramble to take cover behind Dib’s car.

            When the meat has finally stopped raining down, Pepito slowly lowers himself and Squee to the ground. He has a hard time as he tries to figure out the proper rate to flap his wings, but they eventually make it.

            He sighs with relief and smiles at Squee. Squee smiles back.

            “Pepito, your wings!” Zim cheers as he, Dib, and Gaz run over.

            “I know!” Pepito exclaims excitedly.

            “So are they like permanent?” Gaz asks.

            “No, I don’t think so,” he replies, “hang on.” He grunts with exertion as black energy swirls around his wings. They slowly sink into his back until nothing is left but two bumps on his shoulder blades.

            “That is so cool,” Dib comments.

            “Yeah,” Pepito agrees, “they ripped through my new shirt though.

            He winces when Johnny starts walking over. Zim, Dib, and Gaz cautiously back away, careful to stay out of his line of sight.

            He stops a few feet away from Pepito. They stare at each other for second. Then Pepito flinches as Johnny leans forward and points at him.

            “You are so lucky,” he snarls.

            Pepito blinks and looks behind him Squee, who is carefully dusting off Shmee.

            “Yeah,” he agrees, “I know.”

            Meanwhile, Zim, Dib, and Gaz step over the meat chunks as they head to the car.

            “You know, I think I’m gonna stay off meat for a while,” Dib says.

            “Who’s gonna clean up this mess?” Gaz asks.

            “I’ll call over Gir,” Zim replies, “he’ll get it cleaned up in no time.”

            “If you could do it before all my neighbors get home,” Squee requests, “they’re not gonna be happy about this.”

            “Ah, who cares. Just leave it,” Johnny shrugs, “they can clean their own yards.”

            He spots Nugget lapping up some of the meat chunks and rushes towards her. “Nugget, don’t eat that! It’s disgusting!”

            “Sorry I made such a mess, guys,” Pepito sighs regretfully.

            “Aw, don’t sweat it,” Dib shrugs.

            “Yeah. I mean, what’d you even do?” Zim scoffs, “just made a giant meat monster that wanted to kill Squee and ate a bunch of a people.”

            A sudden awkward feeling fills the air.

            “Let’s not think about that last part,” Gaz says quickly.

            “Well, I’m gonna start learning to control my powers better so something like this doesn’t happen again,” Pepito declares, “and if I’m able to grow wings, who knows what other cool things I can do?”

            “Just be careful,” Squee warns, “you don’t want to cause another mess.”

            “But if you do, you can count on us to help clean it up,” Dib states.

            Pepito smiles gratefully.

            “Maybe we should start with this mess first,” Gaz points out.

            “Don’t worry. Gir’s on his way,” Zim says.

            As if on cue, the little robot rockets from the sky and onto the road. He looks around for a second before cheering excitedly and immediately starts scooping meat into his mouth.

            The kids wrap up their bizarre evening by watching Gir eat the all of the meat chunks. It is quite disgusting.    


	86. Fanatics 47

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaz has a night out.

Gaming Night

 

            Gaz lowers her GS3 after having just beaten a boss and checks the time. Almost midnight. She should get going.

            She hops out of bed and pulls on a black coat, boots, and gloves. She grabs her bat and leaves her room.

            Dib is in the living room, watching some sort of all-night marathon for a paranormal show. Gaz hopes he’s too engrossed in his show to notice her. But unfortunately he hears her slip by towards the front door.

            “Hey, what are you doing?” he asks.

            “Going out,” she replies plainly.

            “Now? It’s the middle of the night,” he points out.

            “I know. I’ll be back in a couple hours,” she states.

            Dib gets to his feet and marches up to her. “A young girl can’t just go out by herself in the middle of the night. It’s way too dangerous.”

            Gaz growls and points the end of her bat inches from his face. He freezes.

            “Uhm…which is why I’ll be texting you periodically,” he concludes, “reply to every one or I’ll come looking for you.”

            “Fine, whatever,” she grunts and leaves.

            Gaz strolls down the dark streets, the streetlamps and the full moon the only things illuminating her way. There aren’t many people out. The few that are keep to themselves, like she does.

            She eventually arrives at an old shopping area, with condemned building or convenience stores that sell products that have most likely been expired for years. It looks lifeless, except for one building that is completely out of place. One would think from looking at it- from the bright lights flashing through the small windows and the techno music blasting from inside- that it’s some kind of hopping club. But it’s actually an arcade.

            Gaz grins as she approaches it and lets herself in. As usual it’s full of all kinds of people, mostly teenagers and young adults, playing all kinds of games. There are countless arcade consoles lined up in rows through the entire building and vending machines set up near the door. The only lights illuminating the building are the flashing lights from the games.

            Gaz discovered this place a few months ago. It’s open 24hours but it doesn’t get hopping like this until after dark. She loves it. It’s like her own slice of heaven where nobody judges her, everyone has a good time, and she reigns supreme.

            One of the patrons notices her saunter into the crowd and elbows his buddy. “Dude, look. It’s the Queen.”

            “The what?” he questions and looks around.

            “The Queen, dude,” he says again, “she’s the one who holds the high scores on every single game.”

            His friend looks at him with surprise. “You mean…GAZ?”

            “Yeah, man,” he nods, “the Queen of Gaming.”

            Gaz smirks as she strolls through the aisles, eyeing the consoles. She can feel everyone looking at her and hear them muttering. When she first found this place, she spent the next few nights getting the high scores on all the games. It wasn’t too difficult. For each game she put in her initials as ‘GAZ’. After that, it didn’t take long for rumours about her to spread around the establishment.

            Here she is revered for her gaming skills and mysteriousness. Every so often she returns to make sure her reign continues by getting the high score on any games where she might’ve been replaced. It’s fun and makes for a new challenge every few weeks.

            She spots the high scores of a nearby console and sees her name second on the list. She smirks, slips in a quarter, and starts playing.

            It’s a generic space fighting game where you gotta blow up alien invaders. It gets progressively harder with the addition of more and stronger enemies as you level up. The more levels you pass, the more points you get, along with any power ups you receive along the way.

            Gaz goes for every power up and blows up every enemy each with one hit. She eventually regains her place at the top of the high score list within the hour, and then moves on.

            As she searches for her next target, she feels her phone vibrate in her pocket. She pulls it out and reads a text from Dib: ‘are you okay?’

            She rolls her eyes and sends a reply: ‘yes, I’m fine.’

            This is why she doesn’t want Dib knowing about this place. He worries too much. He would just ruin it.

            Gaz spends the next few hours roaming around the arcade games, making sure she’s got the high score on all of them. She also plays a couple of her favourite ones even if she does have the high score. This trip can’t be all business.

            As he promised, Dib texts her periodically to make sure she’s okay. She’s quick to respond to each one just to shut him up.

            She decides she’s done for the night around 3am and heads for the door. But before she leaves, she stops at one of the vending machines and buys a cola.

            As she chugging it down, she spots something in the faded reflection of the machine’s glass. There’s somebody standing in the crowd of gamers staring right at her.

            Gaz turns around but she doesn’t see them. They’ve disappeared into the crowd.

            She glances at the vending machine then back at the crowd before shrugging it off and leaving. But she keeps a tighter grip on her bat.

            She walks home through the dead silence of the night. She’s feeling more uneasy than before. She can’t shake the odd feeling that she’s being watched. But she doesn’t see anyone around.

            She hears something clatter in an alleyway to her left. She spins around and lifts her bat, prepared to fight.

            A cat jumps into view. It blinks at her before trotting away.

            Gaz groans and rubs her face. “I’m letting my nerves get to me. So stupid.”

            She starts to continue walking when she senses a presence behind her. Before she has time to turn around, a bag is suddenly shoved over her head. She drops her bat as her hands are bound behind her back by tape. Then she’s pushed over into somebody’s arms and her ankles are taped together.

            She starts squirming as she’s picked up and dropped into something but it’s too late. She can’t escape now.

            She hears a trunk door slam overhead and then a car engine start. She pants as she quickly puts the pieces together. It’s not that hard to figure out. She’s been kidnapped.

            “Dammit,” she growls, “now Dib’s gonna be able to say ‘I told you so’.”

            Gaz doesn’t panic. She knows that won’t accomplish anything. But she doesn’t sit still either. She bends her legs back so she can touch her ankles and starts tearing at the duct tape. If she can at least get her legs free, then she might stand a fighting chance.

            But before she can rip it all off, she feels the car slow to a stop. She hears car doors slam and muffled voices slowly get louder as people come around to the trunk. She hears the lid open and at least three sets of rough hands grab her and pull her out.

            She doesn’t bother struggling. She’s outnumbered and blind to the full situation. If she tried to fight, she would just get hurt.

            They carry her a little ways before dropping her in a chair. Then they whip the bag off her head.

            She’s in a room so dark she can’t make out anything. The only light is coming from a candlestick placed on the table she’s sitting at. It’s barely illuminating somebody sitting across from her but she can’t make out any of their features.

            “Hello, Miss Gaz,” he says, “it’s nice to finally meet you.”

            “Who are you? What’s going on?” Gaz demands.

            “I’m sorry if my subordinates with rough with you but I needed to meet you and I figured this was the most sure fire way.”

            “I don’t like repeating myself,” she growls, “who are you?”

            “Call me M,” he replies, “as for your second question, I promise to explain everything.”

            “You see, I am a co-leader and founder of a small organization made up completely of gamers,” he explains, “we are called The Secret Society of Gamers and our goal is stop the oppression of gamers.”

            “Oppression?” Gaz questions.

            “Of course. Gamers are always looked down upon; made fun of in media. They refuse to see us for who we really are: brilliant and powerful.”

            “Right,” Gaz grunts, “so how do you plan to stop the oppression?”

            “By taking over the world!” he declares.

            She can’t hold back her groan.

            “Yes! We will take over the world and everyone who looked down on us will be forced to revere and respect us!” M booms, “gamers will never be oppressed again!”

            “So why am I here?” Gaz asks.

            “We want you,” he replies, “surely you understand the oppression I speak of. You, who is considered the Queen of Gaming. You must also be very smart and resilient. We want you to join our organization.”

            “And you had to kidnap me?”

            “As I said, we are a secret organization,” M points out, “if you give us an undesired answer, we can’t have you spreading rumours about us.”

            “So, what? If I say no, you’re gonna keep me prisoner or something?”

            “Something like that. But I am quite confident in your answer.”

            Gaz scoffs. “Well, sorry, M. But I’m already part of a group of idiots who think they can take over the world. And, frankly, I like their cause better. So my answer is no.”

            He sighs. “That is…disappointing, to say the least.”

            “Life’s full of disappointments,” Gaz states, “now if you’ll excuse me, I’m sure my brother is blowing up my phone so I better get going before he sends a search party after me.”

            “You’re not going anywhere,” M growls.

            “You won’t be taking me prisoner,” she retorts.

            She hears multiple footsteps coming up behind her. She waits until they’re closer, then jumps to her feet, shoving the chair back and knocking it into them.

            Before anyone can fully comprehend what’s happening, Gaz falls to the floor and kicks the table’s leg, knocking it over. The candlestick rolls along the floor, still lit. She quickly wiggles up to it and places her duct taped wrists near the flame.

            “Somebody grab her!” she hears M shout followed by lots of running footsteps. She can’t tell where they’re coming from.

            Gaz winces as the flame burns through the tape. Once it’s weak enough, she rips through it and lashes out with her fists at all the nearby silhouettes.

            “She’s free!” somebody yells.

            “Grab her!” someone else adds.

            Gaz quickly rips off the tape around her ankles and jumps to her feet. She grabs the candlestick and waves it around in front of her, trying to illuminate the room more.

            She hears footsteps coming up behind her. She immediately does a roundhouse kick. She doesn’t hit anybody, but she’s hears them stumble back.

            It’s so dark. She has no idea how many people there are, but she has to assume she’s surrounded. She can’t see any escape route, but there must be walls somewhere. She has to find one.

            She whips the candle ahead of her into the darkness. It briefly illuminates a couple people scattering from the flame before going out. Then she races after it.

            She feels herself brush past some people. She sticks out her elbows and grins when she connects and hears them grunt in pain. She quickly sticks out her hands just in time to feel them press up against a wall.

            She stops and puts her back against it. Without the candle, the room is even darker. But if she can’t see, then they can’t either.

            “Where’d she go?” someone shouts.

            “Can somebody turn on the lights please?” somebody else demands.

            Gaz reaches into her pocket and pulls out her cellphone. “Sure,” she chirps as she turns on the flashlight.

            The sudden bright light is harsh and all of her captors shout with surprise and cover their eyes. Now Gaz is able to view her surroundings.

            She’s in some sort of old warehouse. It looks like it hasn’t been used for anything in years. The windows are all boarded up and there are old tools on the floor, all covered in layers of dust.

            She spots a pipe wrench by her feet and quickly wields it like her bat. The gamers flinch back from her.

            “Now you’re gonna let me go or I’ll start cracking skulls,” she warns.

            “You think you can beat us?” one of them questions. She quickly recognizes his voice as M. He looks about sixteen and he’s scrawny with messy brown hair that hangs over his face.

            “Yes,” Gaz says bluntly.

            “You have no idea how powerful we really are!” he barks, “you can’t escape us! We’ll always be there, in the shadows, watching you! You’ll never have a moment of peace!”  
            “Shut up,” Gaz grunts and whacks him in the face with the wrench. He cries out in pain and collapses to the floor.

            She looks around for any other challengers. They immediately shy away from her, putting their hands up defensively. Gaz rests the pipe wrench on her shoulder and marches to the nearby door. She lets herself out and slams it shut behind her.

            Gaz sighs, glad that that’s finally all over. She looks around. She’s in some sort of warehouse district but she’s not sure which way is home.

            She turns off the flashlight on her phone and checks her texts. Dib is absolutely freaking out. It must’ve been a while since she last replied.

            She sends him a quick text telling him she’s on her way home then turns on the GPS. It tracks her location and shows her the closest route to the house.

            She sighs. It’s going to be a long walk.

            Dawn is just starting to crack by the time Gaz makes it home. She lets herself in and sighs exhaustedly as she leans against the door.

            She spots Dib’s scythe lock poking over the side of the couch. She leaves her new pipe wrench leaning against the wall and peeks over.

            He’s fast asleep, with his phone still in his hand.

            Gaz smiles wearily and heads upstairs to get some sleep of her own. He really worries too much.


	87. Fanatics 48

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Devi and Tenna try and help Nny find some new hobbies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The idea for this chapter was given to me by a watcher on my Deviantart a long time ago. Just a reminder that you can follow my DA here -> https://www.deviantart.com/murderousmanic18  
> Or my Tumblr here -> https://snapped-pencil.tumblr.com/  
> I post art on both and they also have all of the Fanatics chapters, including the many that have yet to be posted here.

New Hobbies

 

            “Coming in!” Devi announces as she and Tenna burst through the door of house number 777. But it’s completely empty; nobody’s around.

            “Huh. They must be out,” Tenna says, “should we come back?”

            “Nah. Let’s just hang out,” Devi replies.

            They flop down on the couch, turn on the TV, and make themselves at home.

            Nobody shows up for about an hour. And then suddenly the basement door swings open and Johnny walks out, blood dripping from his clothes and face. He spots Devi and Tenna and nearly jumps out of his skin.

            “What the hell are you doing?” he exclaims.

            “Forget us. What happened to you?” Tenna asks.

            “What, this?” he questions as he gestures to the blood. “None of its mine.”

            “Then whose is it?” she asks.

            “Don’t answer that,” Devi says quickly, “what’s wrong with you?”

            “Hey, don’t shout at me,” Johnny snaps, “you two are always barging in here without knocking. You were bound to see something you didn’t want to eventually.”

            He wipes some blood off his cheek. “I’m gonna go clean up. The two of you should take this time to think of what lessons you can get from this.”

            He goes down the hall to the bathroom. The girls stare after him for a second before Devi sighs with aggravation.

            “He’s so disgusting,” she comments.

            “You know what we should do?” Tenna asks.

            “Well, we could turn him into the police but I don’t think Squee would be very happy about that,” Devi replies.

            “No. I was going to say we should help him find a new hobby,” she says.

            “What?” she questions.

            “He just needs a better way to spend his time and energy,” Tenna explains, “we can help him find it.”

            Devi shrugs. “Well, he did use to like drawing.”

            “And City University offers all kinds of community classes,” she adds, “we should sign ourselves up.”  
            “Yeah,” Devi smiles, “let’s go.”

            They leave quickly to put their plan into action.

            A few minutes later, Johnny finishes showering and changing and goes into the living room. He looks around with surprise when he notices the girls are gone then smiles, pleased.

            “Much better,” he sighs as he lies down on the couch.

           The only reason Johnny leaves the couch is to drive Squee to Skool the next day. Afterwards, he returns to it and enjoys a couple quiet hours to himself.

            And then Devi and Tenna burst through the front door, smiling excitedly.

            “Ugh,” Johnny groans with blatant disgust. “You two never learn.”

            “Come on,” Tenna orders, “we’re going on a field trip.”

            “Huh?” he grunts.

            “We signed ourselves up for a bunch of community classes at CU,” Devi explains, “we’re gonna help you find a new hobby.”

            “Why?” Johnny asks.

            “You need one,” Tenna insists, “honestly, how else do you spend your time other than watching TV?”

            “Well, yesterday I spent a couple hours drilling into-.”

            “Ah, we don’t need to know,” Devi says quickly, cutting him off.

            “Just come on,” Tenna orders.

            Before he can argue anymore, they grab Johnny’s arms and drag him out the door and into Devi’s car.

            “Fuck,” he huffs as he pouts in the backseat. “What sort of classes?”

            “Sketching, painting, and pottery,” Devi replies.

            “Those all sound awful,” he comments.

            “What, even sketching?” Tenna questions, “we chose that one just for you.”

            “If I could still draw, then I would,” he points out, “some pretentious stranger trying to teach me shit isn’t gonna help.”  
            “How do you know they’re pretentious?” Devi asks.

            “Why else would they be a community class teacher than to showcase their skills to people of all ages?”

            “Jeez, you’re so negative,” Tenna scoffs, “some people do it because they’re desperate for money or have given up on their dreams.”

            “Yeah, that’s true,” Nny shrugs.

            An hour or so later they arrive at City University, the biggest, most prestigious advanced educations school in the city. They enter through the front gates and head through the campus to the main building.

            “I thought about coming to CU for an arts degree,” Devi says, “but the second I mentioned it to my parents they started bringing up all kinds of other classes they thought I should take instead and they ruined it for me.”

            They enter the main building and follow a map to their class. As they’re heading through the halls, they spot two familiar people sitting on a nearby bench although it takes them a second because they’re normally wearing face paint.

            “Hey, Nny, Devi, Tenna,” one of the Doughboys waves happily. It’s difficult to tell which one but it’s probably Mr. Fuck.

            “Wow, you two are eerily identical without makeup on,” Tenna comments.

            “Don’t remind me,” Psycho Doughboy groans.

            “Which raises the question, why don’t you have your makeup on?” Devi asks, “and what are you doing here?”

           “Aron goes to CU and he sneaks us into the communal showers once in a while,” Eff explains, “we just finished up. Now we’re waiting for Sickness and Reverend Meat.”  
            “They take so long,” D-boy comments.

            “What are you guys doing here?” Eff asks.

            “Taking some community classes,” Tenna replies, “we’re gonna find Johnny a new hobby.”

            The Doughboys stare at her for a second before bursting into loud, boisterous laughter. They literally hold their sides and double over as their laughter bounces off the walls.

             “We’re serious,” Devi growls.

            “That just makes it funnier,” Eff guffaws.

            “Oh, man,” D-boy sighs as he wipes his eyes. “I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard.”

            “What’s so funny?” Tenna snaps.

            “Nny can’t do hobbies,” Eff says, “the Nightmare drained him dry.”

            “But I thought Johnny had endless imagination or something,” Devi points out.

            “Well, sure but what good is imagination if all your creativity and originality is gone?” Eff questions as he stands up next to Nny. “Look at him. He’s completely hollow.”

            To prove his point, he knocks a couple times on his head. Johnny immediately punches him in the face. Eff cries out in pain as he falls to the floor.

            “Well, I think you’re wrong,” Devi states, “if he still has imagination then he can still use it.”

            “Alright, believe what you want,” Eff grunts as he rubs his nose. “But trust us; we were there the entire time the Nightmare was feeding off him. He’s got nothing.”

            The girls both huff as they grab Johnny and lead him away.

            They find their classroom and let themselves in. There are easels with large sketch paper and different pencils, erasers, and sharpeners lined up throughout the room. A few of the easels are already taken, mostly by young adults like them. They pick three easels next to each other in the middle of the room and wait for the class to begin.

            The teacher comes in a few minutes later. He’s dressed in a black, semi-formal suit. He stands at the front of the room and examines the class.

            “Welcome to sketching class,” he says, “here I will attempt to teach you the most basic form of drawing but I can’t guarantee anything. Not everyone is born with a natural talent for art, like I was.”

            “Pretentious and arrogant,” Johnny mumble, “a double threat.”

            “The best way to get better at anything is practice, but that will only get you so far,” the teacher continues, “so to begin I want you all to sketch this bowl of fruit.”

            He goes into a nearby closet and produces a bowl of apples, oranges, and bananas, which he rests on the front desk.

            “I will be going around critiquing your work but don’t let that pressure you,” he says, “remember if you’re not good it’s not your fault. You just weren’t born with the proper skills.”

            The students pick up their pencils and start drawing on the easels. The teacher walks down the rows, quietly looking over everyone’s shoulders. Occasionally he’ll make some sort of noise, like a sigh or a snort that sounds derisive.

            Johnny tries to ignore him and focuses on drawing. It’s been a while since he drew something other than loudmouth stick figures. It’s a little difficult but he doesn’t hate it.

            The teacher comes by and glances at his work. He lets out a small scoff and a bolt of fury shoots up Johnny’s spine.

            “I see some talent here,” the teacher says as he walks up to the front of the room. “But mostly I just see false hope. You poor souls enter this class thinking you can just learn talent. I hate to tell you this, but art isn’t for everybody. Better you quit now before you really fail.”

            Johnny growls and squeezes his pencil.

            “Not everybody can be as skilled as I am.”

            The pencil snaps in half.

            “That’s it!” Johnny barks as he throws aside his easel and stomps up to the front of the room. “You arrogant, pretentious, annoying asshole! I’m gonna cut out your irritating vocal chords with my pencil and hang you with them!”

            The teacher cowers before Johnny’s booming voice and terrifying scowl while Devi and Tenna race over and hold him back.

            “Okay, time to go,” Tenna says as they start pushing him to the door.

            “Let go of me! That annoying thing doesn’t deserve to live!” Johnny shouts.

            They successfully get him out into the hallway, where everyone is staring. After a few seconds, Johnny gives up. He drops his broken pencil and trudges down the hall. Devi and Tenna follow close behind.

            “Well, that was a disaster,” Devi comments.

            “Maybe tomorrow will be better,” Tenna shrugs.

            The next day they have their painting class. They drive to the school and head to the classroom.

            “You think you can behave yourself today?” Devi asks, “we’re lucky nobody called the cops after your little episode yesterday.”

            “That douche had it coming,” Johnny growls.

            They let themselves in and pick their easels. Each one has a canvas and some painting supplies. The teacher is already there. She’s built like a cute dwarf and is dressed in really bright clothes.

            “Welcome to painting class, everyone,” she chirps, “here I’m gonna teach you the basics of painting. But remember: the most important rule is to have fun.”

            “Is this teacher better than yesterday’s?” Tenna whispers, “at least she’s not arrogant.”

            “Her giddiness makes me sick,” Johnny mutters.    

            “Yeah, me too,” Devi agrees.

            “Now painting isn’t just about using colours to draw an object,” the teacher explains, “it should be about expressing your feelings and putting those onto your canvas. Paint what you feel. So to start off, I want everyone to paint something that makes them happy.”

            “Happy?” Johnny questions.

            “Just paint Squee,” Devi shrugs, “he makes you happy, right?”

            Johnny groans in reply as he picks up his paintbrush. He stares at the colours and then at the canvas and back at the colours. How does he even begin?  
            He dips the brush in black paint and starts dragging it somewhat absentmindedly across the canvas. Squee has black hair. He could try painting that.

            After a few minutes he’s somewhat successfully painted a rather messy looking portrait of Squee. He’s not really sure how to feel about it. This whole assignment makes him…uncomfortable.

            The teacher comes by and examines his work.

            “Okay, that’s a very nice portrait,” she says, “but I want you to paint how this person makes you feel.”

            “How the hell do I do that?” Johnny asks.

            “Be creative. Use different colours and brushstrokes. Think about how you feel when you’re with this person and paint it. Use your imagination and visualize your feelings.”

            He just stares at her with a blank, somewhat irritated expression.

            “You... do have feelings, don’t you?” she asks.

            Johnny growls with annoyance and squeezes his paintbrush. Then he catches Devi watching him from the corner of her eye.

            He can’t do anything here. If he tries, he’ll miss his shot just like yesterday.

            He huffs, drops his paintbrush, and stomps away. “I’m done.”

            The next day is pottery class. It seems like an odd choice to Johnny until Tenna says that she’s always wanted to try it.

            The teacher seems tolerable at first. He sticks to the basics as he explains how to make pottery.

            “The most important thing is to be gentle,” he says sternly, “you don’t wanna squeeze the clay too hard or you won’t be able to shape anything.”

            The students get to work on making their pottery. Devi and Tenna enjoy themselves. Playing with the clay is messy and fun. But the second Johnny puts his hand on it, clay splatters all over his shirt and the floor.

            “I told you, you got to be gentle,” the teacher snaps as he comes over. “Try it again and this time control your strength.”  
            Johnny tries again with the same result, except this time clay also splatters all over the teacher.

            “Ugh, what did I just say?” he barks, “you need to be more careful! Can’t you be the least bit gentle? Pottery is a delicate art!”

            He constantly scolds Johnny like a child while his anger slowly rises. Devi and Tenna watch wearily, knowing it’s only a matter of time now.

            He snaps quickly. He grabs the teacher by the back of his head, slams his face into the clay, and stomps out of the classroom.

            Devi and Tenna sigh with defeat. They apologize to the teacher, help him clean up, and leave.

            “This was a total failure,” Devi groans as they leave the school.

            “Yeah, but in hindsight I guess we should’ve known it wouldn’t end well,” Tenna points out.

            Johnny is leaning against their car when they arrive, tapping his fingers angrily on his arms as he waits.

            “I knew this would all be a waste of time,” he scoffs with annoyance.

            “Yeah and you were right,” Devi snaps, “sorry for taking an interest in your personal life.”

            “You should be,” he retorts, “it’s not like I ever ask for it.”

            He gets off the car and goes into the backseat.

            “Why do we even try to be friends with him?” Devi growls.

            “Well…we like being around Squee,” Tenna shrugs.

            They get into the car and drive away.

            Later that evening, after Johnny has picked up Squee from Skool, the two of them laze about on the couch and watch TV.

            “So the hobby search didn’t work out,” Squee states.

            “No,” Johnny growls, “I guess the Doughboys were right. I really am hollow.”

            “Well, hey, you draw Happy Noodle Boy sometimes,” Squee points out in an attempt to make him feel better.

            “That doesn’t require imagination,” Johnny scoffs.

            “No, I guess not,” he sighs.

            “Oh, well,” he grunts, “it doesn’t matter anymore. I lost that part of myself so long ago I don’t even remember it.”

            “Maybe you’ll reinvent it someday,” Squee suggests, “like how you’ve been reinventing yourself for the past couple years.”

            He shrugs. “Yeah. Maybe.”

            Later that night, after Squee’s gone to bed, Johnny goes downstairs into his underground floors. He goes down a couple levels and goes into a room with dim lights and lots of tables holding multiple sharp objects. In the middle of the room, three familiar people are tied to bolted-down chairs: the teachers for each of his community classes.

            “Maybe I am hollow,” Johnny says, “I’m no longer creative and I can’t use my imagination. I see things I had drawn in the past but I don’t remember drawing them or what I felt at the time.”

            “You three are art teachers. I assume you must be very imaginative and creative, although I haven’t seen evidence to support that theory. All you guys did was lord your creativity over everyone like some arrogant wannabe god,” he rambles as he picks up a three-bladed knife with serrated edges.

            “Still, teachers are meant to help their students,” he says as he faces them. “So do any of you have any advice for me as to how I can be creative again?”

            They only whimper and sob fearfully in response.

            Johnny glares at them with disappointment then sighs, “ah, well. I’ll reinvent myself some other day.”

            He lifts his knife and slices through their chests simultaneously.


	88. Fanatics 49

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zim and Dib have a competition.

Zim vs Dib

 

            Pepito’s wings flap gently as he lifts up higher and higher over his house. Squee smiles as he watches him fly around from the patio steps.

            “Wow, you’re really getting better,” Squee comments.

            “Yup. I’ve been practicing almost every day,” Pepito says proudly as he slowly lowers himself. “Wanna try it with me?”

            “Uh, no thanks,” he replies, “I prefer to keep my feet planted firmly on the ground as much as possible. Not that I don’t trust you or anything.”  
            “No, it’s all good. I get it,” Pepito smiles as he sits beside him. They lace their fingers together and lean against each other as they contently watch the clouds roll by.

            Inside the house, Pepito’s cellphone goes off. Of course nobody notices.

            On the other side of the city in his base, Zim hangs up his phone and grunts. “He’s not answering.”

            “I told you, he’s with Squee right now,” Dib says, “you know he likes to be alone with him.”

            “Yeah,” Zim scoffs as he sits beside him on the couch. “He’s so clingy. It’s almost disgusting.”

            “Yeah,” he agrees, “I wonder how Squee can put up with it.”

            “It’s a good thing you’re not as bad as Pepito,” he comments.

            Dib half nods then stops. “Wait. ‘As bad’? Are you saying I’m clingy?”

            “Of course you are,” Zim replies like it’s so obvious. “You can barely go one day without hanging around me.”

            “What about you?” Dib snaps, offended, “you get jealous if I give anything other than you attention for longer than five minutes! Hell, you’re probably clingier than Pepito.”

            “Zim is not clingy!” he barks.

            “You are so clingy!”

            “You’re way clingier than I am!”

            “Am not!”

            “Are too!”

            “I bet I could go way longer spending no time with you than you could with me,” Dib challenges, jumping to his feet.

            “You’re on!” Zim snaps, following suit. “Zim doesn’t need to be around you!”

            “I don’t either!” Dib retorts and stomps to the door. “We’ll see who lasts longer!”

            “Yes, we will!” Zim shouts as Dib leaves, slamming the door behind him.

            The next day, Squee and Pepito walk through the Skool hallways to their lockers. Dib is already there, grabbing his books, but Zim is nowhere to be seen.

            “Morning, Dib,” Squee says, “where’s Zim?”

            “Don’t know,” Dib answers coldly as he slams his locker. Squee and Pepito glance at him then look at each other curiously.

            They walk to homeroom together. Zim is already there in his desk. He and Dib don’t even glance at each other. Squee and Pepito blink with confusion.

            Their morning classes are odd and tense. Both Dib and Zim are in bad moods. Squee and Pepito don’t press for information, afraid of agitating them.

            At lunch, Zim and Dib go to the cafeteria separately and before the others. Gaz, Pepito, and Squee arrive after them. As soon as they enter, they stop in their tracks.

            Zim is sitting in their usual table while Dib is in a table on the other side of the room.

            “What is going on?” Pepito asks with confusion.

            “Something stupid,” Gaz grunts, “I don’t wanna deal with this. I’m gonna eat with Maddie in the boiler room.”

            Pepito and Squee watch her walk away then look at each other.

            “Okay,” Squee sighs, “I’ll talk to Dib if you’ll talk to Zim.”

            “Sure,” Pepito nods and they split up. Squee sits across from Dib and Pepito sits across from Zim.

            “What’s up?” Squee asks Dib gently.  

            “What the hell are you doing?” Pepito asks Zim with annoyance.  

            “Not much,” Dib replies plainly.

            “What do you mean?” Zim questions, offended by Pepito’s tone.

            “Why aren’t you eating with Zim?” Squee asks.

            “Why are you avoiding Dib?” Pepito asks.

            “Cause he’s an arrogant, selfish jerk,” Dib replies angrily.

            “Well…yeah…” Squee agrees.

            “Cause he’s an annoying, prideful runt,” Zim replies angrily.

            “I mean…yeah…” Pepito agrees, “but that never seemed to bother you before.”

            “Isn’t that part of his charm?” Squee questions uncertainly, “kind of.”

            “There’s a limit,” Dib snaps, “he says I’m super clingy. I’m proving him wrong.”

            “He had the audacity to say that Zim is clingy!” Zim barks, “I’ll show him! Zim clings to nothing!”

            “Are you serious?” Pepito groans.

            “Seriously?” Squee questions with annoyance.

            “He’ll be the one who comes crawling back,” Dib says confidently.

            “He’ll see how much he needs me in no time,” Zim says confidently.

            Pepito and Squee sigh with annoyance.

            “That is so stupid,” Pepito grunts.

            “That is so unhealthy,” Squee states, “if you guys are having difficulties, then you should talk it out. Not do some stupid contest.”

            “He wouldn’t listen. This is the only way to prove I’m not clingy,” Dib says stubbornly, “and you can help.”

            “If I spend time with you, it will definitely make Dib jealous,” Zim says, “and then he’ll see he was wrong and crawl back.”

            “Zim gets jealous so easily. I’ll just hang out with you and he’ll see how wrong he was,” Dib says.

            “No way,” Pepito states plainly.

            “Absolutely not,” Squee states plainly.

            “Yes, this will definitely work,” Zim and Dib nod affirmatively, ignoring their respective friend.

            Pepito and Squee groan with exhaustion.

            The rest of the day, Zim and Dib hang around Pepito and Squee, respectively, as much as possible. Granted they have all the same classes so they’re together all day anyway, but even between classes they stick to their sides.

            At the end of the day, all four of them end up at their lockers together. Zim and Dib glance at each other before looking away stubbornly. They make it as obvious as possible that they’re ignoring the other.

            “Squee, you should come to my house,” Dib says loudly, “I got a new book on specters you should check out.”

            “Uh well,” Squee stammers.

            “Come on,” he chimes as he takes Squee’s arm and starts leading him away.

            Zim snarls. He grabs Pepito’s hand and marches after them.

            “Come on, Pepito. I have some prototype laser guns at my house you would love to see,” he says loudly as he stomps past Dib and Squee.

            “I highly doubt that,” Pepito groans.

            Dib watches them leave and growls before looking away, his head held high. Squee sighs wearily as he’s dragged away.

            The next few days are suffocating for Pepito and Squee. Zim and Dib hang off of them like baby chimps. Even when they’re not physically together, they’re clinging to them. Their cellphones go off every five minutes for texts and pictures.

            Pepito makes no effort with Zim. He ignores him but Zim doesn’t slow down at all.

            Squee is a bit more patient with Dib. He responds to some texts and has conversations with him. But after nearly a week, his patience wears thin.

            On Saturday, Squee plans to hide at home for some alone time. He even turns his phone off. He looks for a fresh notebook in his room and prepares for a day of writing while watching TV, when Johnny calls him out.

            Squee leaves curiously and stops in his tracks when he sees Dib standing in the front doorway. He’s holding an armful of books and has an excited smile on his face. Johnny looks at him with confused annoyance and then looks at Squee for an explanation.

            “Uh, Dib,” Squee says, “wh-what are you doing here?”  
            “I bought a bunch of used paranormal books. They have all kinds of notes and stuff written in them from their previous owners,” he explains, “we should go over them and see what we discover.”

            Squee shifts awkwardly. He really doesn’t want to do that.

            Johnny groans and rolls his eyes. Dib watches him nervously for a second but goes back to smiling when he disappears downstairs. Squee just looks at him exhaustedly.

            Meanwhile, Zim has successfully made himself at home in Pepito’s house as well. He’s brought Gir with him who has lugged over some large, strange device and has planted it in the middle of the living room.

            “Isn’t it amazing?” Zim questions.

            “I can’t believe you walked all the way here,” Pepito grunts.

            “This is just a prototype so it can’t do anything right now,” Zim explains, ignoring him. “But someday it will be able to create clouds whenever I want it to.”

            “Why?” Pepito asks.

            “I don’t like sunny days,” he replies plainly.

            Pepito half nods understandably.

            “The only problem is, it’s so bulky,” Zim says, “I need to slim it down.”

            “So, what? You want my help?” Pepito questions.

            “Of course not. Zim never needs help,” he scoffs.

            “Then why are you here?” he asks impatiently.

            “To work on it,” Zim replies, “you can keep me company.”

            Pepito groans and falls down face first onto the couch.

            On Monday, Squee clutches Shmee to his chest as he walks up to the Skool. He looks around nervously, keeping his eyes open for Dib, ready to hide at the first sign of his scythe lock. He’s on pins and needles as he makes his way through the halls and sighs with relief when he only sees Pepito at their lockers.

            “Hey,” he sighs.

            “Hey,” Pepito responds. They both sound exhausted.

            “So how was your weekend?” Squee asks.

            “Horrible,” he replies, “Zim is so annoying. All he did was hang out at my house with his stupid inventions. I couldn’t get him to leave!”

            “Yeah? You think Dib’s a picnic?” Squee scoffs, “all he wanted to do was show me his weird books and discuss theories. ‘Discuss’. He could carry an entire conversation by himself.”

            “Why is this happening?” Pepito questions, “I’ve never seen either of them like this before.”  
            “They’re lonely,” Squee says, “but at least when they had each other they, you know, had each other. Now they don’t even have that.”

            “We gotta stop this stupid competition,” Pepito declares.

            “Right,” Squee agrees, “but how?”

            They consider the questions deeply.

            “We’re gonna need help,” Squee states.

            “Agreed,” Pepito nods.

            They close their lockers and hurry to the first floor, where the lower grades have their classes. They look around for a minute before spotting their target. Gaz sees them coming and watches them curiously.

            “We need your help,” Squee says.

            “Forget it,” she grunts.

            “We haven’t even asked you anything yet,” Pepito points out.

            “It’s gonna be about Zim and Dib,” she says, “I told you, I don’t want to deal with whatever they’re doing. It’s probably stupid.”

            “It’s very stupid,” Pepito nods, “that’s why we gotta stop it.”

            “Yeah, well, do it yourselves,” Gaz grunts.

            “Please, Gaz!” Squee begs, “I can’t take much more of this! Dib won’t leave me alone! He’s so suffocating!”

            “I figured you’d be used to that by now,” she comments, glancing at Pepito.

            “Hey!” Pepito snaps, “I admit I can be clingy sometimes, but I give Squee space when he wants it. Zim and Dib, on the other hand, don’t seem to know the meaning of the word ‘space’. Unless it’s about like stars and planets and whatever.”

            “Welcome to my world,” Gaz groans and rolls her eyes. “Fine. I’ll help you.”

            “Thank you,” Squee sighs with relief.

            “Uh huh,” she grunts, “now, here’s what we’re going to do.”

            Pepito and Squee listen intently as she tells them her plan.

            Later that day at lunch, Squee stops Dib from heading to the cafeteria.

            “We should eat in the boiler room today,” he suggests.

            “Why?” Dib questions.

            “Um…Gaz has been eating there a lot lately and she told me she saw something weird,” he replies, “maybe a ghost?”

            “Really? She didn’t tell me anything,” he says.

            “Don’t you think we should check it out?” Squee asks.

            “Sure,” Dib nods, “ghosts do love dark places like boiler rooms.”

            They head to the boiler room and let themselves in. Dib trots down the steps and looks around. It’s completely empty; the usual stoners, gamers, and loners aren’t here.

            “Where is everyone?” he asks and looks back at Squee. He’s standing by the door, fiddling nervously with his fingers.

            “What’s going on?” Dib asks suspiciously.

            “Um…” Before Squee can answer, the door swings open and Pepito walks in with Zim in a headlock.

            “Release Zim immediately!” Zim cries as Pepito drags him down the stairs.

            Gaz comes in a few seconds later. She locks the door and follows Squee downstairs.

            Pepito lets go of Zim and shoves him over to Dib. They glare at each other and immediately look away.

            “This stupid contest has got to stop,” Squee says.

            “Neither of you is going anywhere until you talk this out,” Pepito adds.

            “I’ll talk it out,” Dib says, “if Zim apologizes.”

            “Apologizes!” Zim bellows, “you’re the one who should apologize!”

            “I’m not gonna apologize! I only told the truth!”    

            “Zim told the truth! You lied!”

            “You’re the clingy one!”  

            “No, you are!”

            “Shut up!” Gaz screeches. Zim and Dib quiet down immediately.

            “You’re both clingy!” she snaps, “and you both need each other. Get over it!”

            Zim and Dib look at her with surprise. Then they glance at each other and look away, a mix of shame and annoyance on their faces.

            Gaz, Pepito, and Squee watch them wearily. This isn’t working.

            Squee clears his throat. “Um, Dib? You know that message you found in one of your used books? The one you think could be written in code? I bet Zim would be able to help you figure it out.”

            Dib glances at Zim. “M-maybe…”

            “Y—yeah,” Pepito agrees, “and, Zim, you know Dib knows a lot more about technology than I do. I’m sure he’d make way better company for when you work on your prototype.”

            “I guess…” Zim mutters.

            “Prototype?” Dib questions.

            “Yeah,” he nods, “it’s for a machine that can make clouds.”

            “Really? That would be great to have on really sunny days.”

            “I know. That’s why I’m trying to make it,” Zim says, “and what’s this about a coded message?”

            “I got a bunch of used paranormal books and I think a previous owner left a coded message in one,” Dib explains, “but I can’t figure it out.”  
            “Well, if it is a code, Zim will be able to crack it,” he states confidently.

            Gaz, Pepito, and Squee sigh with relief as Zim and Dib chatter to each other excitedly. It’s like their stupid contest didn’t even happen.

            The bell rings. They hurry out of the boiler room and into the hall, Zim and Dib still talking to each other.

            “Maybe now things will go back to normal,” Pepito says hopefully.

            “Just remember, you two owe me,” Gaz points out, “I wasted my whole lunch for this stupidity.”

            “Well, what do you want?” Squee asks.

            “I’ll think of something,” she says ominously before splitting off.

            Pepito and Squee stop and watch her leave.

            “You know, I think we might have been better off dealing with their contest,” Squee mutters worriedly.

            They look at Zim and Dib smile at how happy they seem, back together.

            “Oh, well. At least they’re happy,” Pepito sighs, “they sure are lucky to have us, huh?”

            “Yup,” Squee smiles.

            They chuckle and follow their hopeless friends through the crowded halls, all of them blissfully unaware of how lucky they are to have each other.


	89. Fanatics 50

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Battalion has to stop a dangerous poltergeist

Reggie the Ripper

 

            A janitor sweeps the halls of North Arc High School. He moves quickly, eager to get home and begin the weekend.

            As he’s finishing up around the North Arc High Massacre Memorial, he hears a bang to his right. He stops and looks over curiously. It sounded like it was coming from behind the wall.

            He hears it again and this time the portraits clack against the wall. The janitor jumps back, surprised. What’s causing it that?  
            There’s another bang and the portraits all clatter to the floor. The janitor steps back, fear filling his chest.

            “Johnathan Cessation…”

            The voice blows through his ears like wind. He looks around, unsure of whether he actually heard anything.

            “Johnathan Cessation!”

            This time it’s a scream that rips through his eardrums. The janitor falls to his knees, clutching his ears.

            There’s another bang. He glances up at the wall just before it explodes.

 

            Squee pours himself a bowl of cereal and saunters into the living room. He collapses on the couch next to Johnny and Nugget and starts eating as they watch TV. The City News is on. A reporter is doing a bit outside North Arc High School. The heading is ‘Bombing in School?’

            “There was an explosion in North Arc High School last night,” the reporter explains, “it occurred after school hours. The only witness was Jose Manuel, a janitor, who is currently in critical condition. The only damage to the school was a small section of a hallway and the North Arc High Massacre Memorial.”

            It cuts to the site of the explosion. It shows a large hole in wall between two connecting hallways. There’s lots of rubble surrounding the site.

            “Police are baffled about the cause of the explosion as no chemicals or even burn marks were found around the site. It looks as if something smashed through the wall, as opposed to blowing it up. Our hearts go out to the relatives of those involved in the massacre over ten years ago. The mayor says he will have the school and the memorial repaired right away.”

            As it cuts to commercial, Johnny glances at Squee and blinks with surprise. “Squee, are you alright?”

            Squee is staring at the TV, his spoon slipping from his trembling fingers. He looks positively terrified.

            He quickly moves his bowl to the coffee table and hustles to his room. “I gotta call Dib.”

            “Huh? Why? What’s wrong?” Johnny asks but Squee doesn’t answer.

            He grabs his cellphone and calls Dib. He answers quickly.

            “Did you see the City News?” Squee asks immediately.

            “Of course I saw it,” Dib replies. He sounds just as concerned. “Do you think it was that poltergeist we locked up?”

            “I don’t know. But either way, it’s free now.”

            “You’re right. And if it’s as dangerous as you believe, then we gotta find it,” Dib declares, “I’ll round everyone up and we’ll go to North Arc High.”

            “Alright. See you soon,” Squee nods and hangs up. He quickly changes out of his pyjamas and packs up anything he might need into his bag, mainly his knives and bombs.

            Once he’s ready, he stands in the middle of his room, deep in thought.

            “Are bad things gonna happen, Shmee?” he asks.

            “Probably,” the bear replies from his bed. “That spirit is dangerous and powerful. I don’t think it’s a stretch to assume it’s gotten even more powerful. It’s fueled by vengeance and hate. The only way to stop it is to destroy it.”

            Squee moans worriedly and stares at the floor.

            About an hour later, Dib arrives with the rest of the Battalion packed into his dad’s car. Squee hurries out the door, telling Johnny he should be back later tonight, and squeezes into the backseat with Pepito and Gaz.

            “So what’s the plan?” Pepito asks.

            “We’ll start at North Arc High and try to gather some clues,” Dib replies.

            “If that poltergeist is free, it’s probably miles away by now,” Gaz points out.

            “Maybe not,” Squee argues, “it wants revenge. It’s after someone, most likely Johnathan Cessation, the person who killed it.”

            “So if we find Johnathan Cessation, we’ll find the poltergeist,” Zim declares.

            “We don’t even know who Johnathan Cessation is, or if he’s even still alive,” Dib says.

            “Yes, but finding a powerful poltergeist should be much easier than some kid who disappeared ten years ago,” Pepito says.

            “Right. Maybe some of those other ghosts know where it’s going,” Squee suggests, “or maybe we’ll be able to track its like evil energy.”

            “Well, only one way to find out,” Dib states.

            They arrive at North Arc High. The news crew is all gone but there’s police tape across the school’s front door and gate.

            They keep driving and park the car a few blocks away.

            “We better not go through the front door this time,” Dib says.  

            “We’re gonna have to be extra subtle,” Squee adds.

            “Zim,” Pepito says accusingly.

            “Yeah, yeah. I won’t break the doors this time,” Zim groans.

            They walk around to the back of the school. Zim uses his EMP to knock out all the camera and security systems. Then Dib picks a lock on one of the windows and they sneak inside.

            The school is dark and completely empty. Appearance wise, it’s not much different from when they were there last time. But there’s a heaviness in the air that wasn’t there before. It’s obvious that something bad happened.

            They hurry through the school to the site of the explosion. The rubble’s been all cleaned up, so there’s just a huge hole in the wall that used to separate the rest of the school from the site of the massacre ten years ago. Squee and Pepito immediately stop in their tracks at the sight of the ruined hall.

            “What’s wrong?” Zim asks.

            “Uh, nothing,” Pepito replies awkwardly, “it’s just…unsettling.”

            Last time, the hallway was filled with the ghosts of the victims of the massacre. That hasn’t changed. They’re still there, sitting or hovering, staring at the kids with wide, glowing eyes.

            “Think they can communicate?” Pepito asks.

            “They look human enough,” Squee replies, “and I don’t sense any evil from them.”

            The pair move forward, past Zim, Dib, and Gaz, and approach the hallway of spirits.

            Pepito clears his throat. “Uh…hello.”

            Nobody replies.

            “Um we were wondering if perhaps any of you knew where the poltergeist that was here went?” he asks.

            Still nobody replies.

            “I don’t think this is working,” Squee sighs.

            “You smell like him.”

            They flinch and look at a male adult ghost. He moves from the pack and hovers in front of them.

            “Wh-who?” Pepito asks.

            “Johnathan Cessation,” the ghost replies.

            “Wh-who smells like him?”

            “He does.” He points at Squee.

            Pepito and Squee look at each other with surprise.

            “What’s going on?” Zim whispers to Dib and Gaz.

            “I have no idea,” Dib replies.

            “I was the councillor at this school,” the ghost explains, “I saw Johnathan more than I saw anyone else. He was a…very troubled child. Even before the death of his mother and sister.”

            “He saw them both killed before his eyes by the serial killer, Reggie the Ripper.”

            “Reggie the Ripper?” Pepito questions.

           “He was famous in this city. Killed dozens of people. He decided to attack the school one day. But he was the one that was killed, along with all of us.”

            “By Johnathan Cessation,” Pepito states, “Reggie the Ripper is the poltergeist.”

            “Yes,” the ghost nods, “and he wants revenge.”

            “So he is going after Johnathan Cessation,” Pepito says, “but how are we going to find him? Squee, any ideas? Squee?”

            Squee doesn’t reply. He’s staring at the floor, his mind spinning.

            ‘Reggie the Ripper was killed by Johnathan Cessation. Johnathan Cessation was the killer behind the North Arc High Massacre ten years. Johnathan Cessation disappeared ten years ago. I smell like Johnathan Cessation.’

            ‘Johnathan Cessation…Johnathan C…Johnny…C…’

            “He’s going after Nny!” Squee cries.

            Across the city, Johnny watches Devi and Tenna with mild annoyance as they peruse the tables at a garage sale. They chatter excitedly as they examine the different items. Johnny just scoffs with disgust.

            “I shouldn’t have come,” he mutters.

            “I’m surprised you did,” Tenna says.

            “Eh,” he shrugs, “I’m feeling…restless. I needed to get out.”

            “Well, since you’re here you might as well look around,” Devi points out.

            “I don’t wanna buy some random stranger’s old junk,” Johnny scowls.

            “It’s not all junk. Garage sales are great for finding jars and cups I can use when painting,” she argues, “maybe you’ll find something useful too.”

            Johnny scoffs and looks up at the sky. He’s feeling even grumpier than usual. Something’s bugging him, but he’s not sure what. He’s just got a really bad feeling.

            Back at North Arc High, Zim, Dib, Gaz, and Pepito are flabbergasted as Squee frantically races past them and down the hall.

            “Squee, wait!” Pepito exclaims as they chase after him.

            “That poltergeist is gonna go after Johnny!” Squee cries, “I’ve gotta warn him!”

            “Hold on!” Zim snaps and grabs the back of his shirt. He pulls Squee back and they fall to the floor.

            “How do you know?” he asks.

            “I smell like Johnathan Cessation,” Squee explains, panting heavily. “Nny goes by Johnny C. He doesn’t remember any of his past.”

            “It does make sense,” Dib agrees.

            “I gotta warn him,” Squee breathes.

            “So call him,” Zim says, “and we’ll head over there right now.”  
            Squee nods as he slowly begins to calm down. He takes out his phone and calls the house as they leave the school.

            “Come on, pick up pick up,” he begs but nobody answers. “Damn. Maybe he’s out or downstairs.”

            “Don’t worry. We’ll find him,” Pepito says reassuringly, “besides, it’s Johnny we’re talking about. I think the poltergeist would be in more trouble if he found him first.”

            Squee tries to force a smile but it’s weak. He’s just too worried.

            They get back to Dib’s car and start heading to the South End. Along the way, Squee grabs a notebook, a pen, and a lighter from his bag.

            “What are you doing?” Gaz asks.

            “Arranging for some back up,” Squee replies, “just in case.”  
            He scribbles something down and rips the page out. Then he lights it on fire.

            “Whoa!” Dib exclaims. Squee ignores him as the page completely burns to ash. Then he put puts his stuff back in his bag and sits back.

            Meanwhile, across the city in a gutted VW van stuffed with mattresses, Mr. Fuck, Psycho Doughboy, Sickness, and Reverend Meat are spending the afternoon like they spend most of their afternoons: lazing about with one of their roommates, Serene Von the vampire. Their landlord and other roommate, Aron Yoon, is at school right now.

            “And so I said, ‘you can’t talk to me like that’,” Serene says dramatically, “and then I drank all his blood.”

            “Nice,” Eff comments.

            “How come all of your break-up stories end with you drinking the guy’s blood?” Sickness asks.

            “That’s just my go-to response,” Serene shrugs.

            Pieces of paper suddenly fly out of Eff and D-boy’s hats, which are lying on the beds. They stare at them for a second before D-boy grab them.

            “What is it?” Reverend Meat asks.

            “Messages from the little boss,” D-boy replies. Both papers are singed around the edges and have the same message written on them.

            “A mission?” Sickness asks excitedly.

            “Guess so.”

            “What’s it say?” Eff asks as they squeeze together to read it.

            “‘Keep Nny Safe’,” D-boy replies, “safe from what?”

            “Life in general?” Reverend Meat suggests.

            “This is our first mission since leaving the Nightmare,” Eff points out as he puts on his hat and jacket. “We better not screw it up.”

            “Then I guess we should start by finding Nny,” Reverend Meat declares.

            “What about me?” Serene asks.

            “Stay here, take care of the van,” Sickness shrugs, “we might be gone a while.”

            “Later,” D-boy grunts as the four of them head out.

            They start walking, then trotting, and quickly pick up speed until they’re full-on sprinting. They leap into a nearby alley and wall jump between the two buildings until they land on the roof. Then they travel through the city by rooftops, like squirrels, their superior senses scanning the grounds for Nny.

            Meanwhile, Johnny, Devi, and Tenna stroll down the street, sipping on Brain Freezys. Johnny is staring at the sky with a blank expression. Devi is watching him closely.

            “Something on your mind?” she asks, “you seem distracted.”

            “Why would you think that?” Johnny asks.

            “Well, when we were buying our drinks, the cashier complained about us paying in change and you didn’t seem to notice,” she points out, “normally you’d get all pissy about that kind of thing.”

            “Oh,” he mutters, “I don’t know. It’s nothing I guess.”

            “You guess?” Tenna questions.

            “Eh,” Johnny groans and scratches his neck. “Well…you ever get a feeling that something horrible is about to happen?”

            “Sometimes,” she replies.

            “I mean I usually have it all the time,” he shrugs, “but today it’s intensified. And Squee was really jumpy this morning too. Something’s gonna happen.”     

            “Okay,” Devi says, “so what do you wanna do?”  
            Before Johnny can answer, they’re startled to a stop when four people suddenly land on the ground before them.

            “Found ya,” Eff grins as he, D-boy, Sickness, and Reverend Meat stand up.

            “What are you guys doing here?” Devi asks, surprised.

            “Squee sent us,” Reverend Meat replies, “wants us to keep Nny safe.”  
            “Keep me safe?” Johnny questions, “from what?”

            “Not sure,” D-boy shrugs, “he didn’t give any specifics.”

            “You think it has anything to do with that?” Sickness asks. She’s looking back towards the sky. There’s a billow of dark clouds breaking up the otherwise clear, blue sky. And it almost looks like they’re heading right towards them.

            “That doesn’t look natural,” Eff comments.

           “Gear up, crew,” Reverend Meat orders as he grabs his knuckles. Sickness stretches her legs. Eff pulls out a large machete from his hat; D-boy produces a large sledgehammer from his.

            “Should we try to avoid it?” Sickness suggests.

            “Nah, it’ll catch up to us,” D-boy says then glances at Devi and Tenna. “So if you two wanna beat it, now would be the time.”  
            “What is it?” Devi asks.

            “Whatever it is, it absolutely reeks of evil,” Eff replies.

            The clouds move unnaturally fast through the sky until they’re right over them. Then they seem to hover in place for a moment before plummeting towards them.

            Johnny, Devi, Tenna, and the Night Terrors jump out of the way as the black clouds land on the road. They suddenly dissipate, revealing a man who’s completely transparent. His features are hard to make out but his fingers look sharp like knives and he’s letting off black steam.

            “I smell you, Johnathan Cessation,” he snarls.

            D-boy wastes no time. He leaps at the creature and swings his hammer.

            “Not you,” he grunts and waves his hand. An invisible force slams into D-boy and sends him flying down the street.

            “D-boy!” Sickness exclaims.

            Eff goes next. He goes in from the left and swings his machete. The spirit spits with annoyance and waves his hand. Eff flies off his feet and slams into a nearby building.

            Sickness and Reverend Meat charge together. Sickness jumps up and goes in for a drop kick while Reverend Meat goes in low with his fist pulled back.

            The spirit points at each of them with both hands. They fly off their feet and tumble down the road.

            “None of you,” he snarls. His colourless eyes focus on Johnny. He, Devi, and Tenna flinch back.

            The spirit grins. “It’s you.”

            He charges at Johnny like a beast, his claws out. Johnny’s eyes widen with surprise.

            A large hammer smashes into the spirit’s face before he can reach him. D-boy swings and sends him flying back down the road. He pants as he stands in front of Johnny and the girls. He looks relatively unharmed, except for his make-up, which has been smeared.

            “That was for my make-up,” D-boy snarls, “asshole.”

            Before the spirit can get up, Sickness and Reverend Meat race in from both sides. Reverend Meat grabs him by the top of his head and throws him up then Sickness kicks him like a football. He goes flying back down the road. Eff leaps at him, swings his machete, and stabs him through the chest, bringing him down against the asphalt.

            “Listen, ghoulie,” Eff growls, standing over him. “I don’t know what your deal is, but this is our first official job, and we gotta impress our little boss. So why don’t you go fly on back to your crypt, and we’ll pretend none of this happened.”

            “Don’t get in my way,” the spirit snarls.

            “Huh?” Eff questions.

            An invisible force hits him in the stomach. He flies off his feet and lands hard on the asphalt. The spirit pulls out the machete from his chest and stands up. The hole seals up, like he wasn’t even stabbed at all.

            “I guess we’re doing this the hard way,” Reverend Meat grunts.

            “Good,” D-boy snarls.

           He charges the spirit, swinging his hammer. The spirit waves his hand and he flies off his feet. Reverend Meat goes in after him, but he just gets knocked back too.

            “What is he, a Jedi?” Reverend Meat snarls.

            “It’s hard to defend against an attack you can’t see,” Eff growls.

            “He waves his hands to attack,” Sickness points out, “and he’s only got two of them.”

            “Gotcha,” D-boy grunts.

            The four of them charge the spirit at once. They leap at him, fists back, legs high, and weapons swinging.

            “Die,” the spirit snarls.

            They stop abruptly in midair and hang there. They start trashing about and scratching at their throats as they gasp for air.

            “They’re being strangled!” Devi exclaims.

            Johnny grabs his knives from his jacket and charges the spirit. He sees him coming and grins, “good.”

            The Night Terrors are dropped and he turns to face Johnny. He skids to a stop and steps back warily.

            “Oh, that was horrible,” Sickness coughs as she rubs her neck.

            “Yeah. Who would’ve thought breathing was so important,” Eff pants.

            “Johnathan Cessation,” the spirit snarls, “do you remember me?”

            Before Johnny can fully register the question, he’s suddenly knocked off his feet.

            “Who am I, Johnathan Cessation!” the spirit shrieks.

            He’s picked up off the road and thrown against a wall.

            “What’s my name! Say it!” the spirit screeches, “what’s my name!”

            “Reggie the Ripper!”  
            The spirit stops and turns around. Standing farther down the road are Zim, Dib, Gaz, Squee, and Pepito, all of them with their weapons.

           “Why are so many pests getting in the way of my revenge!” Reggie cries out with frustration.

            “Your revenge is pointless!” Squee snaps, “Johnny doesn’t remember his past! He doesn’t remember you or what he did! He can’t feel anything about it!”

            “I don’t care about his feelings!” he barks, “he killed me! I was a killer! People were scared to leave their homes because of me! I was famous! And he ruined it!”

            “You know this guy, Johnny?” Tenna asks as she and Devi help him up.

            “Apparently,” he grunts.

            “Reggie the Ripper,” Devi says, “I remember him. He was a serial killer when I was a kid. He was also one of the victims of the North Arc High Massacre.”

            “And I killed him?” Johnny questions.

            Reggie takes a step towards the kids. “I remember you. You helped to free me. Before you showed up at the school, I had no idea Johnathan Cessation was alive. But when I smelt him on you, I knew I could exact my revenge.”

            Squee winces regretfully.

            “Don’t let him get to you, Squee,” Dib orders.

            “I’m fine,” Squee insists, “let’s just get rid of him.”

            “My pleasure,” Zim smirks and lifts his laser guns.

            “Wait!” Eff exclaims, “Squee, let us handle him!”               

            “Yeah. You and your friends stay back,” D-boy adds

            The Night Terrors stand up and get ready to attack again. Reggie snarls and waves his arm at them. They’re immediately thrown off their feet and slam into the road.

            “What happened?” Gaz asks.

            “They were hit by some kind of invisible force,” Dib replies.

            “Nah, I could sense it,” Pepito says.

            “Me too,” Squee adds, “like a wave of evil.”

            “Alright, then you two be our eyes,” Zim orders.

            “Don’t worry, we can handle it,” Reverend Meat says unconvincingly as the Night Terrors groan with pain.    

            “You guys stick to the mission I gave you,” Squee demands, “we have a plan.”

They look at him with surprise before nodding and hurrying to Johnny’s side.

            Squee grabs a pen and a notebook with a lock from his bag. Dib grabs a large textbook from Zim’s PAK and starts flipping through it, searching for something.

            “A plan? You think you can stop me?” Reggie snaps, “nothing will stop me until I get my revenge!”

            “Oh, shut up,” Gaz scoffs.

            Reggie snarls, offended, and waves his hand.

            “Duck!” Pepito cries.

            The kids fall to their knees and underneath the wave of evil. They feel it blow through their hair.

            Pepito jumps to his feet and swings his guitar, releasing a wave of dark magic at Reggie. It knocks him back a couple feet.

            “Dib, Squee, you guys get the plan ready,” Zim orders, “Gaz, Pepito, and I will hold him off.”

            “O-okay,” Squee nods uncertainly.

            “Found it!” Dib exclaims and holds his book open to a page with different symbols and explanations on it. He points to one that resembles a pentagram with strange lettering surrounding it. “This symbol will keep him trapped in your book. You just gotta draw it on the front and back pages.”

            “Is this really going to work?” Squee asks.

            “We’ll make it work,” Dib declares.

            Squee nods and they get to work.

            Zim, Gaz, and Pepito charge Reggie. He shouts with anger and swings his arm at them.

            “Duck!” Pepito orders. They fall onto all fours briefly before jumping back up to their feet, not slowing down for a second.

            Zim starts shooting his lasers guns. Reggie jumps to the right to dodge. Gaz swings her bat at him. He catches it, digging his claw-like fingers into the wood. Pepito charges from his left and swings his guitar, firing a wave black magic. It smashes into Reggie and sends him tumbling towards Zim.

            Zim’s spider legs release from his PAK and plunge at Reggie. He lifts his arms to block and they stab right through him.

            “Nice!” Gaz cheers while Zim grins victoriously.

            Reggie snarls and points the palms of his hands at Zim.

            “Zim, move!” Pepito orders. He immediately retracts his spider legs and jumps back. A blast of poltergeist evil flies past his face, knocking his wig off his head.

            Zim stumbles back, somewhat dazed. Pepito sighs with relief.

            Reggie stands up, snarling. The holes in his arms seal up without a trace.

            “He can heal,” Pepito observes.

            “What a pain,” Gaz comments.

            “Dib, Squee, how’s it going?” Zim asks impatiently.

            “Almost done,” Dib replies.

            Reggie looks at Dib and Squee and snarls. He drops onto all fours like a beast and charges towards them. They exclaim with surprise.

            “Back off!” Zim snaps and starts firing at him. He weaves across the road, dodging each laser, his sights set on Dib and Squee. Pepito swings his guitar, shooting a wave of black magic at him, but he ducks underneath it.

            He leaps at them.

            “Shmee!” Squee cries. The bear jumps out of his bag and prepares to meet Reggie head-on when in a flash of purple, Sickness appears between them.                     “Sickness!” Squee and Shmee exclaim.

            Sickness grabs Reggie’s hands, trapping him in a Mercy-like parry. His claws dig into her hands, but she doesn’t relent.

            “I know you gave us specific orders,” she says, “but we still gotta protect our little boss.”

            Reverend Meat leaps at Reggie from behind. Unable to dodge, Reverend successfully pounds the back of Reggie’s back with his powerful punch, smashing him into the road.

            Before he can begin collecting himself, Mr. Fuck, Psycho Doughboy, and Johnny come in with large knives and stab Reggie in the back, their blades going clean through and straight into the asphalt. He screams in pain.

            “Woo! Alright!” Devi and Tenna cheer as they trot over.

            “Okay, hurry up with that book,” Zim orders.

            “I’m going, I’m going,” Squee says frantically as he draws in his book.

            Reggie snarls angrily and a horrible shudder goes up Squee and Pepito’s spines.

            “Oh no! Everybody, watch out!” Squee cries.

            “We can’t dodge!” Pepito exclaims and steps in front of Squee and Dib. “Quick, everyone! Behind me!”           

            Everyone rushes to duck behind the antichrist as Reggie unleashes a huge wave of evil force in all directions. It knocks into Pepito, but he catches it and holds it back, digging his boots into the asphalt.

            He groans with exertion as he struggles to hold his own. But it’s too powerful; it’s pushing him back!

            Zim points his gun at Reggie’s head and fires. The laser penetrates the back of his head and the wave immediately dissipates. Pepito cries out with relief and falls to his knees, his arms limp at his side.

            “It’s done!” Squee announces.

            “Then hurry up and trap him!” Zim orders.

            “Draw this circle in the middle of the book,” Dib says as he points at another symbol in his textbook. “Everyone else, stand back.”

            Everyone steps back as Squee draws the circle. The second he connects the line, the book starts trembling.

            “Quick, point it at the spirit!” Dib orders. He and Squee pick up the book and point it at Reggie. His form suddenly falls apart into wisps that start getting sucked into the book.

            “NO!” he shrieks, the wisps reforming into his top half sticking out of the book. “I will not be trapped! I will not be stopped! Not without my revenge!”

            Johnny starts getting pulled towards the book. He exclaims with surprise as he’s suddenly yanked off his feet.

            “Johnny!” Devi and Tenna exclaim and jump for him, but they’re not fast enough.

            “If I’m going down, I’m taking you with me!” Reggie cries as Johnny flies towards him. “Johnathan Cessation!”

            Johnny snarls angrily. Reggie flinches, pure horror gripping every ounce of his being as he looks in Johnny’s eyes and sees a monster.

            Johnny is suddenly dropped onto the road and Reggie disappears entirely into the book. Squee and Dib immediately slam it shut and lock it.

            “Ow,” Johnny groans as he sits up, rubbing his head.

            “Nny!” Squee exclaims and drops to his knees, hugging him tight. He blinks with surprise before resting his hand on Squee’s head.

            “I’m so glad you’re okay,” he cries, “when I realized that poltergeist was going after you, I was so worried!”

            “How’d you know it would come after me?” Nny asks.

            “He said I smelled like Johnathan Cessation,” Squee replies, “the kid responsible for killing him.”

            “Huh,” Devi muses, “so you killed Reggie the Ripper and caused the North Arc High Massacre.”

            “I’m really not as surprised as I should be,” Tenna grunts.

            “Me neither.”

            Squee lets go of Johnny and smiles with relief. He looks up as the Night Terrors approach him, looking kind of sheepish.

          “Er…sorry, Squee,” Reverend Meat mutters, “we uh we didn’t do too well with our first job.”

            “If you guys hadn’t shown up, things could’ve gone really bad,” Sickness adds.

            “Don’t beat yourselves up. I told you to keep Nny safe, and you did,” Squee smiles, “you guys did good.”

            They blink with surprise then grin.

            “Aw, making me feel all fuzzy inside,” Eff snickers.

            Meanwhile, Zim, Gaz, and Pepito gather around Dib as he holds out the notebook that’s trapped Reggie the Ripper.

            “Is he really trapped this time?” Pepito asks.

            “This will work as well any prison,” Dib replies, “but at least this way, we can keep a close eye on it.”

            “This was a job well done,” Zim declares, “nice work, Battalion.”

            Dib, Gaz, and Pepito smirk. They all feel pretty good with themselves. As for Squee, he’s just happy Nny’s okay.


	90. Fanatics 51.1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some enemies of Gaz's come back for revenge.

Game Wars Part One

 

            M’s thumbs tap his controller rapidly as he singlehandedly serves a can of whoop-ass on an MMO. His enemies can’t even get a hit in before he wipes them out.

            His bedroom door suddenly opens, letting in offensive light from the hallway.

            “Matthew,” his mom chimes as she pokes her head.

            “Damn it, Mom! Knock first!” he barks as he pauses his game.

            “Sorry,” she says quickly, “Dan is here.”

            “Let him in,” he orders.

            She steps out of the way and lets Dan in.

            “Thank you, Miss Teller,” he nods politely.

            “Let me know if you need anything,” she smiles before closing the door, leaving the two of them in darkness only illuminated by the screen of the TV. It gives the two of them dramatic shadows.

            “Well?” M questions.

            “We found her,” Dan replies. He grabs his cellphone from his pocket and shows him a picture of a young girl with purple hair. She’s sitting on the front steps of a building playing a Game Slave 3.

            “It’s her,” M hisses hatefully as he rubs his crooked nose. “GAZ, the Gaming Queen. Who is she, really?”

            “Gaz Membrane.”

            “Membrane? Like Professor Membrane?”

            “Yes. She’s his daughter. She goes to the High Skool in North End. She spends a lot of time on her GS3. She seems to have a few friends but none of them are gamers.”

            “Excellent. Nice work,” M comments.

            “So what are we going to do?” Dan asks.

            “She’s our enemy,” he states, “we will break her. She will learn not to mess with The Secret Society of Gamers.”

            They laugh evilly in the light of the television, feeling powerful and dangerous.

            The door opens and M’s mom peeks in, breaking the illusion. “Do you guys want some juice and cookies?”

            “Damn it, Mom!” M snaps.

           

            Gaz is in the boiler room of the Skool with Maddie. The two of them are playing a two-player racing game on their GS3s, beating all the AIs like child’s play. It’s not even challenging for them, but sometimes you just got to do something easy.

            “Hey, have you ever heard of an online player named M?” Maddie asks.

            “I don’t know,” Gaz replies, “why?”

            “You know Galaxy Conquerors?”

            “Sure. It’s that new open world MMO for the Amusement Station.”

            “Yeah. Well, I was playing it the other day and this guy M is completely maxed out and OP as all hell,” Maddie explains, “and according to the message boards, a lot of the hard core players fear him. He’s like a god or something.”

            “Have you played against him yet?” Gaz asks.

            “No, I’m not very high level so I wouldn’t stand a chance,” she replies, “I’m not much of a regular MMO player. Too many people. I mean I’ll play online games, but only for like challenges and stuff.”

            “Yeah, I get it,” Gaz nods, “hm, M. You know, I feel like that rings a bell.”  
            “Do you play a lot of MMOs?”

            “Nah. Like you said, too many people.”

            “Well, maybe you saw him in a tournament or something,” Maddie shrugs.

            “Yeah, maybe,” Gaz mutters. But she has a nagging feeling that isn’t right.

            Later, after Skool, Gaz leaves with Zim, Dib, Pepito, and Squee. Zim is complaining about one of the kids in his and Pepito’s classes. She apparently answered a question intended for Zim and he flipped out on her. Pepito just thought it was funny.

            As they start to split off at the front gate, Squee suddenly stops and looks around suspiciously.

            “Something wrong?” Dib asks.

            “Um, possibly,” he replies as he rubs his neck nervously. “But maybe not.”

            “You gotta learn to tell the difference between actual danger and your own paranoia,” Zim grunts, “it could be more useful in the future.”

            “If it were that easy, I would’ve a long time ago,” Squee mutters.

            They split off to go home, putting Squee’s worries behind them. But as he starts to reach for the passenger door of Johnny’s car, Squee stops to take one last look around.

            That’s when he spots him: a teenager about his age sitting on a bench across the street. He’s holding a Game Slave but he’s not looking at it. His eyes are peeking over and focused entirely on Gaz.

            Squee cocks his head. “Well, that’s…suspicious.”

            The next morning, Dib and Gaz walk to Skool together. They arrive at the same time as Squee, as he’s hopping out of Johnny’s car. He sees them and looks around curiously before approaching them.

            “Hey, guys,” he says nervously, “Gaz, have you noticed um anything weird lately? Anyone weird?”

            “You mean other than you guys?” she questions drily. Squee chuckles awkwardly.

            “What do you mean, Squee?” Dib asks.

            “Uh just that I don’t know if my suspicions yesterday were…” He trails off when he notices the same kid from yesterday standing farther down the street, staring at them. “…paranoia…”

            The kid realizes Squee is looking right at him. He scrambles around the corner before Dib and Gaz turn around.

            “What is it?” Dib asks.

            “I don’t know,” Squee replies, “they don’t…feel dangerous.” He looks at Gaz with concern. “Just uh be careful, okay?”

            “Sure,” Gaz grunts

            With that, they go into the Skool together.

            Gaz splits off from the boys to go to her locker while they head upstairs. She doesn’t want to give Squee’s warning much thought, but should she? Squee’s not usually wrong about these sorts of things. But why is he so worried about her well-being? What about everyone else?

            The bell rings. She rests her GS3 on the top shelf of her locker before closing it and walking to class, putting her suspicions behind her. She’ll worry about it later.

            Unbeknownst to her, mixed in the sea of students is a kid who doesn’t belong. He watches Gaz walk away before focusing on her locker and grinning, evilly and dramatically.

            After class, Gaz goes to her locker like all the other students. She opens it to switch her textbooks around but stops quite abruptly when she notices something amiss. Literally.

            Her GS3 is gone.

            Her scream is audible even in space. Everyone leaps out of her path as she stomps through the halls and up the stairs. The only ones who remain still are Zim, Dib, Pepito, and Squee. They cower in place as she angrily approaches them.      

            She grabs Squee by the front of his shirt and tugs him forward. “My Game Slave is gone!”

            “O-o-okay…?” he replies uncertainly.

            “You knew something like this would happen!”

            “I-I-I told you to be careful!”

            “You’re gonna take me to these guys!” Gaz orders as she shoves Squee down the hall.

            “Huh! Why me?” he asks as he regains his footing.

             “You can use you danger senses to find them,” she replies, “and don’t forget you owe me. If it wasn’t for me, Dib and Zim would still be having their stupid fight, and clinging to you and Pepito like baby chimps.”

            “Huh?” Zim and Dib question, but the others ignore them.

            Squee shudders fearfully under Gaz’s glare before relenting. “F-fine.”

            “Good, let’s go,” she orders and drags him down the hall.

            “Now? But it’s the middle of Skool!” he point outs.

            “Who cares? My Game Slave is missing!”  
            “Dib, copy some notes for me,” Squee begs as his friends sympathetically wave him goodbye.

            Squee and Gaz quickly leave the Skool before the next class begins and hurry down the street. Squee looks around suspiciously but also keeps an eye on Gaz.

            “So…” he muses, “who would want to steal your Game Slave? Can you think of anyone?”

            “No,” Gaz replies, “even my worse enemies know better.”

            “I thought so too. So why would someone take it then?”

            “That’s what we’re going to find out,” she snarls.

            They walk around for a while, seemingly with no direction. Gaz tries to trust Squee, but after a while she gets antsy.

            “Do you know where you’re going?” she asks impatiently.

            He doesn’t reply for a second. Then he stops and points at a nearby house. “Here.”

            It looks like a normal house. “You’re sure?” Gaz asks.

            “Yup.”

            “How do you know?”

            He just shrugs.

            She takes a deep breath and marches up to the house. When she reaches the front door, she realizes Squee didn’t follow her.

            “Are you coming?” she asks.

            He shakes his head frantically.

            “Why not? Are you scared?”

            “Yeah.”

            Gaz scoffs and turns to the door. She rings the doorbell and readies herself to fight whatever may answer.

            It’s a stocky middle aged woman with styled hair and a friendly face. “Yes?”

            “Uh,” Gaz hums.

            “Oh, are you here to see Matthew?” she asks.

            “Um…sure,” she says uncertainly.

            “Matthew! There’s a girl here to see you!” she calls out as she walks away.

            “A girl!” a boy exclaims excitedly from somewhere in the house. He rushes to the door then slides to an abrupt stop when he sees her, his face filling with horror.

            “You!” Gaz barks.

            “You!” M squeals.

            Gaz stomps into the house, her fingers flexing.

            “H-h-how’d you find me?” M whimpers as he backs away.

            “You took my Game Slave,” she growls.

            “What? How did you know?”

            She snarls with rage, her eyes lighting up with fire. Her hands lash out and grab the front of his shirt, ready to tear him apart.

            “Wait, wait, wait!” Squee exclaims and rushes in. “Can’t we talk about this?”

            “There’s nothing to talk about,” Gaz growls.

           “Just calm down,” Squee insists, gently resting his hands on Gaz’s arms. “Take a deep breath. It’s a bad idea to start a fight here. Think about his mom.”  
            She glares at him but he doesn’t back down. So she lets M go and takes a deep breath.

            “Good,” Squee sighs, “now, Matthew, right?”

            “It’s M,” he huffs.

            “Uh okay,” he says, “do you have somewhere we can talk?”

            “We can talk in my room,” he replies. They walk through the house and to M’s bedroom. It’s filled with gaming merch: posters, figures, prints. The entertainment station has a flat screen TV and lots of different game consoles.

            “Wow. And I thought I might’ve had a problem,” Gaz comments drily.

            “Okay, so just for pretext,” Squee says, “how do you two know each other?”

            “This freak and his friends kidnapped me one night and tried to make me join his weird gaming cult,” Gaz replies.           

            “It’s not a cult,” M snaps, “it’s a worldwide organization. We are the Secret Society of Gamers.”

            “Why?” Squee asks.         

            “Because gamers are oppressed and we are gonna end the oppression and take over the world!”

            “Uh…okay…” Squee grunts, “so you kidnapped Gaz. Obviously that didn’t end well.”

            “What do you mean by that?” M asks as he self-consciously rubs his crooked nose.

            “I just know Gaz. So did you steal her Game Slave for revenge?”

            “Of course. Any gamer would be heartbroken to see their favourite console missing. That is my wish,” he explains.

            “To break Gaz?” Squee asks.

            “Ha,” she scoffs, “didn’t work out too well, did it? Now give it back.”

            “I-I don’t have it,” M admits nervously.

            “What!” Gaz barks and yanks his shirt. “Where is it?”

            “My associates have it! And if anything happens to me, they’ll destroy it!” M squeaks.

            She throws him back and looks at Squee. “You brought me to the wrong place!”

            “I brought you to the guy who was following you,” Squee whimpers, “that’s all I can do. I’m not a prophet.”

            She groans and rubs her eyes.

            “Yes!” M cheers, “victory is mine! You are broken without your Game Slave! My vengeance is complete!”

            Gaz suddenly grips his neck and slams him up against the wall. 

            “Wait! My friends will destroy it! They will!” M cries as Gaz squeezes.

            “I don’t care. At least you’ll be gone,” she snarls.

            “Hold on!” Squee exclaims, “maybe we can come up with compromise?”

            “Like what?” Gaz asks.

            “Um….you apologize and he gives you back your game and also apologizes?” he suggests.

            They both glare at him with an ‘are you serious?’ expression.

            “Okay,” Squee sighs and rubs his forehead. “Um how about…?”

            “A duel!”

            Squee squeals with surprise and whips around. Standing in the doorway is Zim, a big grin on his face and hands on his hips.

            “Zim? Where did you come from?” Squee asks frantically as he grips his chest, his heart going a mile a minute.”

            “I followed you,” he replies plainly.

            “Whoa. Why are you are green?” M asks.

            “It’s a tattoo,” Zim states, “anyway, back to your dilemma. Zim proposes a duel. If Gaz wins, you return her device. If you win, you keep the device and receive a satisfactory victory.”          

            “A duel, huh? That sounds alright,” Gaz grunts as she releases M’s neck. “But what sort of duel?”

            “A gamer duel!” M exclaims excitedly, “we’re both gamers, it’s only natural. And we shall do it on the mystical fields of Damornia.”

            “Of what?” Gaz asks.

            M gasps loudly and dramatically. “Are you telling me you don’t play Galaxy Conquerors? What kind of gamer are you?”

            “The kind that doesn’t cater to every single cash grab,” she grunts.

            “Galaxy Conquerors isn’t a cash grab! It’s a sophisticated MMO with advanced features and graphics!”

            “Right.” She rolls her eyes. “So what’s Damornia?”

            “It’s a PVP region in Galaxy Conquerors. Players face off against each other in 10v10 battles and the last group standing wins,” M explains.

            “10v10?” Squee questions, “but-.”

            “Deal,” Gaz nods.

            “What?” he exclaims, “but, Gaz, we don’t know 10 people, let alone have 10 gaming systems.”

            “Don’t worry about the gaming systems,” M says as he grabs a piece of paper and scribbles something on it. “The SSG will graciously supply those for the sake of the duel. Just meet at this address with your team on Saturday.”

            Gaz rips the paper from M’s hand and marches out of his room without another word. Zim and Squee quickly follow.

            “Where are we going to get 10 people for this thing?” Squee asks as they walk away from the house.

            “Well, with the Battalion we already have five,” Zim points out, “we just need five more.”

            “But who?” Squee asks.

            “Maddie will help,” Gaz replies, “that makes six.”

            “I guess I can ask Colton and Carmen to help,” he suggests, “but that still leaves two more.”

            “We’ll figure it out. We have until Saturday,” Zim points out optimistically, “tonight we shall gather at my base and discuss it.”

            As promised, Zim, Dib Gaz, Pepito, and Squee meet with Maddie, Colton, and Carmen at the base. Everyone’s been filled in and they brainstorm who they could ask to join their team.

            “I don’t know. None of my other friends would be into this,” Carmen says.

            “I don’t have any other friends,” Colton mutters.

            “Me neither,” Maddie adds, “but I do know someone we could ask, though I don’t know if he’ll help.”

            “Who is it?” Gaz asks.

            “Are you familiar with the online name ‘Vampire Hunter’?” Maddie asks.

            Gaz shudders. “Iggins.”

            “You know him?”

            “He’s a gross, slime ball.”

            “I’m only familiar with his gaming persona,” Maddie says, “but even if you don’t like him, we could use his skills. We’re the only avid gamers here. A third would be useful.”  
            Gaz groans, “fine. How do we contact him?”

            “He’s almost always online. He won’t be hard to contact.”

            “That just leaves one more space,” Zim says, “any ideas?”

            Everyone draws a blank. Then Squee moans awkwardly and rubs his neck.

            “I have an idea,” he says and looks at Zim and Dib. “You’re not gonna like it.”

            A few minutes later, everyone is standing in front of Tak’s base. Zim and Dib are shaking their heads furiously.

            “No way! Absolutely not!” they bark.

            “Can you guys think of anyone else?” Squee questions sceptically.

            “What makes you think she’ll help us?” Pepito asks, “she hates us.”

            “Maybe she won’t. But we can at least ask,” he shrugs.

            “She’s our enemy!” Zim snaps, “I refuse to ask for her assistance.”

            “I’ll ask,” Gaz grunts, “then it’ll be my problem, not yours.”

            Zim sighs but relents. “Fine.”

            Gaz marches up to the front door and knocks. Tak in her human disguise- Kat- answers.

            “What do you want?” she asks.

            “I need a favour,” Gaz replies. She quickly explains the situation. Kat stares at her with surprise before bursting into laughter.           

            “Saw that coming,” Dib murmurs.

            “Why should I help you with your petty problems?” Kat asks.

            “I’ll owe you one. I can repay you however you want,” Gaz replies, “and Pepito owes me one. So I can make him do whatever you want too.”

            “Hey! Don’t drag me into this!” Pepito snaps.

            Kat considers it then nods. “Alright. I’ll help out in exchange for your services. What do I have to do?”

            Gaz turns to the rest of the group. “We’ll spend the next few days at my house, familiarizing ourselves with the game and strategizing so we’ll be ready Saturday. We’ll contact Iggins there too. Knowing him he’s probably already an expert on Galaxy Conquerors. Alright?”

            Everyone nods affirmatively. They leave Tak’s base and head to the Membrane house to start preparing. They have their team. Come this Saturday, they’ll be ready for the duel.


	91. Fanatics 51.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Battalion and their allies face off against the Secret Society of Gamers.

Game Wars Part Two

 

            Squee dumps his bag out onto the coffee table of the Membrane house, clearing it of all his notebooks and pens and his bombs and knives. Then he holds it open and lets Gaz fill it with chocolate bars, gummies, energy drinks, soda pop, and other gamer treats.

            “Here, I’ll carry it,” Pepito says as he takes the bag and hoists it onto his shoulder.

            “Alright. Everybody ready?” Gaz asks.

            “What about Iggins?” Maddie questions.

            “He said he’d meet us at the address,” she replies.

            “Fine. Let’s go,” Zim orders.

            “Hey, my stuff’s gonna be safe here, right?” Squee asks.

            “Yeah, don’t worry. Nobody will touch it,” Dib replies as they head out.

            Zim, Dib, Gaz, Pepito, Squee, Colton, Carmen, Maddie, and Kat head through the city to a warehouse district. They stop outside one of the warehouses and stare at it ominously.

            “Right, this is it,” Gaz nods.

            “Where’s Iggins?” Maddie asks.

            “Is that him?” Carmen asks as she nods down the street. There’s a boy in a Vampire Piggy Hunter t-shirt and big, bug-eyes riding a bike towards them. He hops off and grins at Gaz.

            “Well, well, well. The mighty Gaz asks humble, ol’ me for help?” Iggins taunts.

            “Humble?” Gaz spits and points at Zim. “You’re as arrogant as this idiot here.”

            “Nobody is as anything as Zim,” Zim scoffs.

            “So are you gonna help me or just annoy me?” Gaz asks, ignoring him.

            “I’ll help,” Iggins nods, “I’ve heard of this Secret Society of Gamers. I think they’re a bunch of hypocrites. Gamers should enjoy their lives, not try to ruin others.”

            Gaz nods approvingly. “I think this is the only time I agree with you.”

            “Alright,” she grunts, “Iggins, Maddie, and I will be tanks. That means we draw the enemy fire and lead attacks. We can take the most damage. Squee, Carmen, and Colton, you guys will heal. You’ll be in charge of making sure we all stay alive and staying as far away from the enemies as possible. Everyone else, you’re DPS. Just attack the enemies. Got it?”

            “I wanna tank,” Zim says.

            “Zim, you’re not skilled enough to tank,” Gaz groans.

            “Zim is skilled at everything,” he states.

          “Think of it this way, Zim,” Dib says, “if you’re damage, you’ll have more entertaining fights.”

            Zim rubs his chin with consideration then nods. “Alright. Zim will damage.”

            “Okay. Let’s go,” Gaz orders.

            They march up to the warehouse and go inside. It’s neat and clean with black walls and dim lights. Down the middle of the room is a large white curtain and on either side is a row of high-tech computers with barriers separating each one.

            M is standing in front of the door with his army of gamers behind him. There’re seven boys and three girls, all in their mid to late teens.

            “I was starting to think you wouldn’t show up,” M smirks.

            “Well, we’re here,” Gaz grunts, “do you have my Game Slave?”

            “It’s here. But unless you win, you won’t see it,” he replies.

            “We’ll win,” Iggins smirks.

            “I doubt it,” one of the girls scoffs, “only three of you are gamers.”

            “How can you tell?” Dib asks.

            “Your hands,” she replies and points at Gaz, Maddie, and Iggins. “Your thumbs are redder and flatter, indicating that you rub joysticks a lot, right? No one else has fingers like that.”

            “You can tell that just from our hands?” Pepito asks.

            “Yup,” she nods, “so I’m not worried. We’re all professional gamers. You don’t stand a chance against us.”

            “We’ve spent the last couple days practicing,” Dib says, “we’re not scared of you.”

            “Oh, you will be,” M smirks, “everyone to your stations! Let’s get this party started!”

            The two teams split up on different sides of the curtain and each take a seat at a computer. The game, Galaxy Conquerors, is all loaded up and ready to go on login screens.

            “Everybody put a headset on!” M shouts. Everyone grabs a headset that’s sitting in their station and pulls them.

            “Can everyone hear me?” M’s voice rings through the headset speakers.

            “Yes,” are the scattered replies.

            “Good. Now, on the fields of Damornia, character levels are cancelled out. We are placed on equal grounds for a fair fight. So if you have your own character, use them. If not, then make a new one.”

            “Do you guys have your own characters?” Iggins asks.

            “We all made one while we were practicing the last couple days,” Gaz replies as everyone signs in and logs into their characters. The second they do, they all receive an invite from someone named Multimass.

            “Accept the invite and you will be teleported to Damornia,” M says.

            Everyone accepts it and the screen changes to a loading screen. After it’s loaded, they’re all in some sort of room with vendors.

            “You have ten minutes to prep and plan,” M explains, “buy supplies, make strategies. And then get ready to get your asses kicked.”

            “Right back at you, worm,” Zim snarls.

            “Yeah. You’re all going down,” Kat growls.

            “Alright. Pepito, pass an energy drink down to everyone,” Gaz orders, “we plan and strategize through party chat. Only use the headset if it’s urgent. We don’t want those punks hearing our every word.”

            “Got it,” Pepito nods as he passes cans down the line. Everyone cracks them open while Gaz types in the party chat.

            ‘We stick together as much as possible. Stay close to the healers and don’t let them take damage. If you see an enemy, attack instantly. And be merciless.’

            “That’s what I’m best at,” Kat grins.

            “Squee, Carmen, and Colton, right? You guys are the healers?” Iggins asks, “that’s a lot of responsibility. Our lives rest on your shoulders. Can you handle it?”

            “I’ll keep you alive,” Carmen smirks.

            “I’ll do my best,” Colton adds.

            Squee just takes a quick swig of his energy drink and lets out a shaky sigh.

            “Okay. Time is up,” M announces, “the battle lasts two hours. Whichever team has the most members is the winner! Begin!”

            “Let’s go, guys,” Gaz orders and their characters exit the building into a lush area filled with trees and bushes.

            Gaz, Iggins, and Maddie lead the way. Zim, Dib, Pepito, and Kat are right behind them with Squee, Colton, and Carmen squeezed in the middle. They move quickly, scanning all the areas around them.

            It’s eerily quiet. Everybody’s on edge.

            The enemy strikes without a warning. Arrows fire through the trees and pierce Gaz, Iggins, and Maddie.

            “They’re here!” Gaz cries, “healers, get to work. Everyone else, attack!”

            Squee, Carmen, and Colton quickly heal the tanks while everyone rushes towards the direction of the arrows.

            “Find us if you can,” M sings. The enemies are hidden in the trees, moving stealthily.

            “Damage, stay close to the healers,” Gaz orders.

            “Come out and face us, you cowards,” Zim barks.

            “You asked for it,” one of the gamers taunts. He emerges from the trees and charges Zim, dazing him for a second.

            “Zim, retreat! That’s a tank!” Maddie shouts as she rushes in. She knocks the enemy back and takes the brunt of his attack while Zim attacks sparingly from a distance.

            “We need a healer here!” Maddie orders.

            “I’m coming,” Carmen says and rushes through the trees.

            “I found one!” Dib announces as he goes up against someone hiding in a bush.

            “Think you can take me by yourself?” she taunts.

            “He’s not by himself,” Pepito retorts as he attacks her back.

            “Well, neither is she,” another gamer shoots back as he attacks Pepito.

            “These guys are scattered all over the place,” Iggins growls as he charges one of the enemy tanks.

            “Like roaches,” Kat comments.

            “Has anyone seen their healers?” Maddie asks when her enemy is suddenly healed up.

            “I’m looking for them,” Gaz replies.

            “I need a healer!” Iggins shouts.

            “Coming, coming!” Colton squeaks as he hurries over.

            “Damn!” Zim snaps when he dies. “Carmen, revive me!”

            “I am, I am!” she says frantically.

            “Zim, what are you doing, dying over there?” Kat snaps.

            “Don’t blame me! These guys aren’t going down!” Zim retorts.

            “Our healers are the best,” M purrs, “especially compared to your amateurs.”

            “Damn! I need help here!” Kat orders as she goes up against another enemy. Squee struggles to keep her alive.

            “I’m coming!” Gaz shouts and hurries to her.

            “I admire your determination,” M comments, “or maybe it’s just stubbornness?”

            “Either or,” Pepito replies.

            “Well, shall I put a quick end to your misery?”

            Multimass suddenly appears in the open. Before anyone can notice him, everyone gets killed by a flash of light.

            “What?” Gaz exclaims while everybody else gasps with surprise.

            “Like that?” M asks, “it’s the move that has made me so feared among other gamers. It can wipe out everyone. Now do you see how outmatched you really are? Just give up, Gaz, you don’t stand a chance. Buy yourself a new Game Slave.”

            “Forget it,” Gaz snarls, “this isn’t about the Game Slave anymore.”

            “Oh, no?”

            Their characters respawn back in the building. Zim hops up on a table and faces everyone.

            “Alright, pay attention,” he barks, “we may have lost the battle but not the war. These guys think they’ve got us just because they’re ‘professional’ and ‘better than us’. Well, I say, HA! How many times has my Battalion gone up against some enemy that think they’re better than us! These worms are nothing compared to them! Let’s show them they can’t mess with us!”

            “Nice speech,” M scoffs, “but it won’t do you any good. Your team’s a mess.”

            “Maybe,” Gaz grunts, “but that’s what makes us so dangerous.”

            “I’m ready when you are,” Kat says.

            “Let’s break them,” Dib grins.

            “After you, tanks,” Pepito purrs.

            “I like your guys’ enthusiasm,” Iggins smiles.

            They leave the building, Gaz, Iggins, and Maddie in the lead. While they head out, Gaz types in the party chat.

            ‘We’ll do things differently this time. Everyone split into three groups. Zim, Dib, and Carmen with me, Pepito and Squee with Maddie, and Kat and Colton with Iggins. Spread out and find these sneaky punks. Take out their healers first if you can.’

            They split into their groups and move carefully through the trees, keeping their eyes wide. It’s quiet at first, just like last time.

            “I see you!” Iggins shouts suddenly. One of the enemy gamers cries out with surprise when he attacks her. “Your stealth tricks won’t work on me twice!”

            “Alright! Take her out!” Colton cheers.

            “There’s a healer nearby,” Kat snarls and looks around.

            “Don’t go too far, Kat,” Colton warns.

            “Don’t worry, I’ll stay within range.”

            “Zim, watch out!” Gaz cries when an enemy charges him from the trees.

            “Again! You cheap, move-spammer!” Zim snaps.

            “If they work, then use them a lot,” the attacker retorts.

            “Dib, watch out for the healer!” Gaz orders, “Zim, help me destroy this loser!”

            “You got it,” Zim growls.

            “Guys, watch out! There’s another one!” Carmen says when a second enemy appears.    

            “I got him,” Dib declares and moves to attack him.

            “No, I got him,” Zim argues as he leaves the first enemy for Gaz. “You look for the annoying healer.”

            “Check nearby bushes,” Maddie suggests as she charges into the hiding place of three enemies.

            “How’d you find us?” one of them exclaims.

            “Like Iggins said, your tricks won’t work on us twice,” Pepito smirks.

            “I found a healer!” Dib exclaims excitedly.

            “Oh no!” she cries and tries to escape.

            “You’re not going anywhere!” he taunts and chases her.

            “I found one too!” Kat cheers.

            “Damn,” he growls and attacks her. “I need help!”

            “I’m coming,” one of his allies replies.

            “Hey, I need a heal!” the enemy fighting Zim snaps.

            “I can’t heal if I’m dead!” the healer trying to escape Dib retorts.

            “Yes, yes, yes!” Zim cheers as he watches his enemies health bar get lower and lower before finally disappearing. “Yes! I killed one!”

            “Good job, Zim,” Gaz grunts impatiently, “now help me with this guy.”

            “The healer’s dead!” Dib cheers.

            “Here too,” Kat adds excitedly.

            “Same,” Pepito chimes.

            “No, no, no!” M barks.

            “Now who’s struggling?” Zim laughs.

            The tables start turning as the Battalion’s team takes out their enemies one by one. They cheer excitedly with each kill while M gets more and more frustrated.

            “Alright, now to find M,” Gaz orders when the ninth enemy is taken out. “Quickly, before they respawn.”

            “Where are you, M? Time to join your team,” Iggins growls.

            “I’ll wipe you all out!” M barks

            He appears out of nowhere, just like last time. Everyone flinches, waiting for the wipe. But it doesn’t happen.

            “Damn it! It hasn’t recharged yet!” M shouts with frustration.

            “Now’s our chance,” Dib exclaims.

            “Time to even the score,” Zim smirks.

            “Healers, stay back. Everyone else, attack!” Gaz orders.

            They charge Multimass before he has a chance to escape. He tries to fight back but he’s hopelessly outnumbered. They take him out quickly and cheer over his dead body.

            “Alright! We showed you!” Zim laughs victoriously.

            “Don’t get cocky!” M snaps, “there’s still an hour left. You don’t stand a chance!”

            The next hour is a festival of fighting, healing, dying, reviving, and respawning. The two groups clash quickly and violently. No time for taunts or strategies, everyone stays quiet except to call for heals or help and the occasional victorious cheers or frustrated curses.

            In the last ten minutes, a warning suddenly appears on screen that reads, “no more respawns or revivals. All deaths final.”

            “This is it, guys,” Gaz says, “the final stretch. Stay alive and try to avoid M. I’m sure his move has recharged by now. As long as we have one more person alive than them, we’ll win.”

            “We can’t let these noobs win!” M barks, “take them out!”

            The next few minutes are hectic and stressful. The tanks and damages try their best to take out whoever they can while healers try to keep everyone alive. There’s a lot more shouting as the clock ticks down.

            Zim is the first to die but he manages to take down an enemy with him. But that doesn’t help his frustration. Pepito dies next after taking down two enemies. Carmen and Iggins soon follow after finishing off two more. Squee goes down next followed by Kat after she takes out an enemy. Dib and Colton manage to take down two more before they die. And finally, two minutes before time-out, Maddie takes out the ninth enemy.

            “Nice job, Maddie,” Gaz comments, “now if we can just avoid M, we’ll be good.”

              “Good luck with that,” M growls, “you have no hope against me. I’ll wipe you both out.”

            Gaz quickly types something in the party chat. Maddie reads it then shares a quick look with her before nodding.

            “You’re an impressive gamer, M. I’ve read a lot about you on forums,” Maddie comments, “I guess we really never did stand a chance.”

            “At least someone understands,” M sighs happily, “you know, your skills are pretty great too. If it wasn’t for your relationship with Gaz, I’d want you to join SSG.”

            “Thanks but gaming should be about fun and escaping reality. Not about trying to be better than everyone else,” she says.

            “Too bad I am better than everyone else,” M purrs. He jumps out a few feet in front of her and unleashes his move. Maddie dies instantly.

            “Ha, ha! Champion!” M cheers.

            The timer runs out and the word ‘Tie’ appears on screen.

            “What!” he exclaims.

            Gaz leans back in her chair, smiling with satisfaction. “I had Maddie stall while I retreated to the spawn zone. I figured it was a safe bet that your move wouldn’t reach me there.”

            She hops out of her chair and tears down the curtain. The gamers spin around with surprise as Zim and the others stand up and stretch.

            “Ugh, my ass is so sore,” Pepito groans.

            “Yeah, how can gamers handle sitting in those chairs for hours on end?” Carmen yawns.

            “You get used to it,” Iggins says.

            “A tie wasn’t part the deal!” M barks as he jumps to his feet.

            “It could be. Just give Gaz back her game and you both apologize,” Squee suggests, “everybody wins.”

            “No way! It was a fluke! I will not admit defeat!” M shouts angrily.

            “Jeez, relax,” Gaz groans, “it’s not a defeat. It’s a tie. Maybe you are better than us at somethings and maybe we’re better than you at somethings. But as far as this game is concerned, we’re equal.”

            M glares at her hopelessly. “But…but I’m feared on this game…I can’t have an equal.”

            “Well, actually it’d be like ten equals,” Dib points out.

            “Can we wrap this up?” Kat asks impatiently.

            “Yeah. M, just give me my Game Slave and we’ll be done here,” Gaz says.

            “Forget it!” M snaps, “the deal was if you won, then you’d get your Game Slave. You didn’t win! So you’ll never see your precious Game Slave again!”

            Gaz glares at him for a second. Then without any warning, she grabs the mouse from her computer and whips it at his face. He cries out in pain as he grabs his nose and falls to his knees.

            “Woo!” Zim cheers.

            “Oo ‘it by ‘ose aban <you hit my nose again>!” M cries. He grabs his mouse and throws at it Gaz. She sidesteps out of the way and it smashes a computer screen.

            “Hey! Don’t attack my sister!” Dib snaps and throws a keyboard at him. He misses and it hits another gamer in the chest.

            “Ow! Jerk!” he snaps and throws his keyboard. Dib cries out with surprise and ducks.

            “Fight!” Zim exclaims excitedly.

            “Aw, jeez,” Squee sighs.

            The warehouse breaks down into a frenzy of flying computers. Everyone screams as they dodge them and they smash against the walls, desks, and floor.

            Once all the ammo has been destroyed, Gaz stomps to the other side of the room. She grabs M by the front of his shirt and picks him up off the ground. “Now where’s my Game Slave?”

            M stares at her fearfully as blood drips from his nose.

            A few minutes later, the Battalion and theirs friends- and Kat- walk out of the warehouse. Gaz smiles with relief as she turns on her GS3.

            “If any of those assholes saved over my game files, I’ll break all of their noses,” she growls.

            “We should’ve just done that from the beginning,” Kat grunts.

            “Yeah, I don’t know what I was thinking,” Zim scoffs, “obviously real violence is always the answer, not simulated violence.”

            “Just for the record, this is exactly what I wanted to avoid,” Squee says, “but at least it all worked out, I guess.”

            “Yeah and it was pretty fun,” Carmen smiles.

            “It was,” Iggins agrees as he hops on his bike. “Feel free to call me up again if you ever need more help.”

            They watch him ride off for a second.

            “Don’t call me up again,” Kat grunts as she walks away. “Oh, and I will be collecting on that favour.”

            “I can’t believe you made me owe her,” Pepito groans and glares at Gaz.

            “Oh, get over it,” she scoffs.

            “You know, you could at least thank us for helping you,” Zim points out.

            She glares at them with annoyance. Everyone flinches fearfully.

            “O-or not,” Zim adds nervously.

            Her face softens and she turns away. “Thanks a lot, you guys.”

            They look at her with surprise then smile warmly.

            “We’re a team. It’s what we do,” Zim shrugs humbly, but his grin is all arrogance.

            They head back to the Membrane house together. They excitedly recap the duel, complimenting each other on some of the cool moves and techniques they pulled out.

            Gaz is quiet though. She just plays her GS3, blissful and content.


	92. Fanatics 52

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this slightly different chapter, two amateur video makers try to explore the underground labyrinth.

Trapped in Endless Darkness

 

            There are many mysteries surrounding the Nameless City. What was it actually called? Why does winter hit so hard and suddenly every single year? Why do so many weird and dangerous things seem to happen? What’s the real deal with Grave Road? Why are there so many disappearances? But perhaps the most interesting mystery is the underground labyrinth.

            Many residents know of the labyrinth, but most don’t believe it actually exists. Those who do believe in its existence have never actually seen it. The very, very few who have seen it will tell everyone to stay away from it.

            The labyrinth is a series of ever-changing, never-ending tunnels. No tunnel leads to the same place twice in a row. Even if you keep going straight, you could end up unknowingly going in circles. Very few people have experienced the labyrinth and even less have escaped it with their sanity intact.

            If you dare brave the labyrinth, you could end up stuck forever.

           

            “We are gonna ace this,” I say excitedly as I skim over my script. It’s not very large, just an intro and a couple of things I should remember.

            “I don’t know, Cath,” Waylon mutters worriedly as he fiddles with his camera. “The labyrinth is really dangerous. We could get lost and die. And there are supposedly ‘things’ living in it.”

            “I told you, I took all the rumours into consideration,” I say reassuringly, “besides, people really blow things out of proportion. I’m sure it’s not nearly as bad as they say. Like how the tunnels are always changing. That’s not even possible.”

            “Yeah, I guess,” Waylon nods, “okay, the camera’s ready to go.”

            “Awesome. Let’s do it,” I order. I tuck my papers away into my bag, straighten my hair, and face him. He points his camera at me and starts recording.

            “My name is Catherine and I, along with my cameraman, Waylon, will be exploring the mysterious underground labyrinth,” I explain, “our goal is to try and prove or disprove the many rumours surrounding the tunnels. We will be starting here.” I point to a pair of wooden double doors in the cement beside me. “An abandoned cellar that many believe leads into the labyrinth. To keep from getting lost, I will have this rope around my waist and tied tightly to this pole. It’s nearly three miles; more than enough I’m sure.”

            “There are so many rumours surrounding the labyrinth, we don’t know what to expect. But that’s why we’re doing this; so that others will,” I conclude.

            I look at Waylon. “You ready?” He nods. “Alright, let’s do this.”

            I pull open the cellar doors. They lead to stone steps that quickly disappear into pure darkness. I reach into my bag and pull out a large flashlight

            “You want a dust mask?” I ask.

            “Yeah, and the goggles,” Waylon replies.

           I hand him a dust mask and dust goggles and put some on myself, along with a pair of gloves. We stare a second longer down the stairs.

            “You know, this is how a lot of horror movies start,” Waylon comments.

            “Shut up,” I grunt and we start down the steps.

            “The stairs seem to go on forever,” I comment as I shine the light down.

            “It’s like we’re descending into hell,” Waylon mutters.

            “Oh, don’t be so dramatic,” I groan.

            “Does anyone even know why this place was built? Oh how?” he asks.

            “I don’t know. Maybe it was like a massive bomb shelter,” I suggest, “or mining tunnels.”

            The stairs finally end and we step onto the ground. I shine the flashlight around us to get a better look at the tunnel.

            “Waylon, get a close-up on the wall,” I order. It’s all dirt but it’s so smooth and perfect. We can see all the different sediments.

            “This couldn’t have been done by shovels or picks,” Waylon muses.

            I step back and look further down the tunnel. The flashlight breaks through the darkness for a few feet before dissipating. I don’t see any turnoffs; it just keeps going and going.

            “Alright, let’s go,” I order and we start walking.

            It’s eerily quiet. I can’t hear a single sound, just my own heartbeat and footsteps. I suddenly feel a little self-conscious; is the camera picking them up?

            “It’s so quiet,” Waylon mutters, voicing my thoughts. His voice seems to echo off the dirt walls.

            “Yeah,” I nod, “it is rumoured that many people have lost their minds inside the labyrinth. With this silence, I can see why. Fortunately, I brought plenty of supplies to combat the rumours.”

            I pull out a music player and crank it. The music breaks apart the silence and I quickly relax.

            “That’s better,” Waylon comments.

            “See? All those people who supposedly died down here were just unprepared,” I point out, “we’ll be fine.”

            We follow the tunnel for a while, feeling much better with the music. We finally come to a turn off to the right. We stop and I face the camera.

            “I’ve been using my watch to keep track of time. After about an hour of uneventful walking, we have finally come to our first turn,” I announce, “which way should we go: straight or right?”

            “How about right?” Waylon suggests, “to mix it up?”

            “Sounds good,” I nod and we take the right tunnel.

            “There are no differences between this tunnel and the first,” I explain as I look around. “No wonder it’s so easy to get lost down here. Fortunately, my trusty rope will keep that from happening to us.”  
            “Most of this video will just be you bragging,” Waylon grunts.

            “So what? I’m a genius, I deserve to brag,” I smirk.

            We walk around for another half hour. Everything is quiet and still. We don’t see any sort of life.

            “I can’t believe how devoid of life it is down here,” I comment, voicing my thoughts. “I haven’t even seen any bugs.”  
            “Maybe the light’s scaring them off,” Waylon suggests.

            “Maybe. But where would they hide?” I question, “the walls have no holes in them.”

            “Maybe there is no life down here. I mean I’ve only heard rumours of monsters.”

            “Right. And those were probably just hallucinations from people who lost their senses.”

            After about another half hour, we come to a tunnel going to the left, one to the right, and one continuing straight.

            “Oh, snap,” I say theatrically, “which way now?”  
            “Um, left,” Waylon replies.

            I nod and we take the left tunnel. Still nothing interesting or different.

            After a couple minutes we near another fork. As we approach, I notice something lying on the ground from the left tunnel and disappearing down the right. From a distance it almost looks like a very long, thin snake. My stomach tightens at the thought- I hate snakes- until we get closer and then I just feel a sick confusion.

            “Wh-what?” I question.

            “Is that…our rope?” Waylon asks.

            “It can’t be,” I reply, “that wouldn’t make any sense. We went north and then east and then north again. Nowhere would the tunnels have intersected like this.”

            “Well…maybe at some point someone else had the same idea as us,” he suggests.

            “Maybe,” I mutter as I bend down and pick up the strange rope. As I lift it, I feel something tug on mine.

            I look behind me with surprise. There’s nothing there and Waylon is standing beside me holding the camera, so he couldn’t have done it.

            “It’s…not possible,” I mutter.

            “What?” Waylon asks.

            “Nothing,” I grunt and stand up. “Come on, let’s go back. We’ll try a different tunnel.”    

            We go down the tunnel back to the intersection. It seems to take longer to get there than last time. It should’ve only been a few minutes away.

            I start to worry for a second until the light illuminates the intersection in the distance. I almost feel relief until I notice something lying across the ground.

            “No way,” Waylon moans.

            It’s the rope again, stretching through the tunnels, just like before.

            “Th-this-this wasn’t here before,” I say dumbly.

            “Even the intersection is different!” Waylon exclaims, “it’s true! The tunnels do change!”

            “Calm down,” I snap, “th-there’s gotta be a reasonable explanation for this. Tunnels can’t just…change…”

            “Well, what then?” he demands. I struggle to find an answer.

            “Look,” I order and lift the rope wrapped around my waist. It’s going down the tunnel to our right, next to the mystery rope. “Our rope leads that way. Let’s follow it and go back to the entrance.”

            “Will that work?” Waylon asks worriedly.

            “It has to. It makes sense,” I point out.

            “But this doesn’t!” he retorts as he motions wildly to the rope and tunnels.

            “We probably just got turned around on the way back,” I argue weakly, “let’s just go.”

            We start following the length of our rope back the way we came. I keep a close eye on the mystery rope along the way.

            I’m not sure what to expect. Half of me thinks if we just follow our rope, we’ll get back to the entrance. The other half is terrified I’m wrong.

           I’m checking my watch a lot more frequently now.  A minute seems to be lasting a long time, but that’s probably just my nerves playing tricks on me.

            The light illuminates another intersection ahead of us and I feel my stomach plummet into my shoes.

            “What?” Waylon exclaims, “it’s not possible!”

            I’m speechless as I look around. Our rope keeps going straight but the mystery rope disappears down the left tunnel. The right tunnel is empty.

            “This proves it!” Waylon snaps, “we didn’t hit this many intersections before. The tunnels really do change. We’ll never get out of here!”

            “Don’t say that!” I bark, “we can’t give up. That’s the first step to losing.”

            “We’ve already lost!” he shouts hopelessly.

            “Not yet we haven’t!” I argue.

            I bend down to examine the mystery rope. I tug on it and, just like last time, I feel the rope around my waist tighten.

            “We’ll follow this rope,” I declare.

            “How will that help?” Waylon scoffs.

            “Because when I pull on it I feel something pull on mine,” I explain, “it’s gotta lead somewhere.”

            Waylon sighs but doesn’t argue. So we follow the rope down the tunnel to the left.

            We walk for a few minutes. The farther we go, the tauter the rope seems to get.

            Suddenly it squeezes so tight around my waist that I can’t move any farther. I turn around and tug on it, but it doesn’t move.

            “What?” I grunt with confusion. “This rope should be almost three miles long. How can it be all used up?”

            “Because nothing down here makes sense,” Waylon mutters hopelessly.

            I growl and untie my rope. “Then we’ll just go on without it. As long as we follow this rope, we’ll be fine.”  
            We start moving again. Waylon’s really slowed down. I have to keep stopping to make sure he’s still coming. He looks really exhausted. I hope he’s okay.

            I keep a close eye on the rope as we walk. I watch it so closely that I don’t even notice we’re approaching a wall until I walk into it.

            “Oh!” I gasp and step back. We’ve come to a dead end. But the rope seems to disappear into the wall.

            “What?” I whimper and kneel down. I pull on it but it goes right into the rock, like it’s being crushed by the wall.

            “It’s…not…possible,” I moan.

            “That’s it. We’re doomed,” Waylon murmurs.

            “No,” I grunt and stand up. “No. We’ll just follow the rope the other way. We’re not beat yet. I refuse to give up.”

            “I don’t wanna keep going,” he whispers.

            I reach into my bag and pull out a granola bar. “Here. Eat. You’ll feel better.”

            Waylon begrudgingly takes it and chews half-heartedly. Once he’s eaten, we start moving again.

            I check my watch for the first time in a while and slow to a stop. I feel like we’ve been walking for at least an hour but according to my watch, little more than a couple minutes have passed.

            “What’s wrong?” Waylon asks.

            “Nothing,” I say quickly and keep moving. I don’t want to freak him out more than he already is.

            I refuse to believe that anything supernatural is going on down here. I can’t believe that.

           I take off my watch and drop it in my bag. If I can’t tell time properly than I won’t tell it at all. Time’s hard to keep track of down here anyway.

            I start moving faster, keeping a close eye on the edge of my light. The rope and tunnel keeps going and going. I don’t see any turns.

            I flinch when I hear something crash behind me. I spin around.

            “Waylon?” I question. He’s gone and the camera is on the ground.

            “Waylon!” I shout. No, where’d he go? I shine my light around, but I don’t see him.

            I race back down the tunnel, calling his name. I turn off the music so I can hear him if he makes noise. But he doesn’t.

            Where could he have gone? We didn’t pass any other tunnels.  How could he have disappeared?

            I keep running until I can’t anymore and sit on the ground. I grab a bottle of water from my bag and chug half of it.

            My eyes sting from tears. What do I do now? I have to get out of here, but I can’t just leave Waylon. But how am I supposed to find him?

            I’m scared. I thought I could do this. I thought all I needed were supplies but they’re not helping me. The rope just made things more confusing.

            I take a deep breath and stand up. Well, I’m not going to get anything done just sitting here.

            I walk quickly done the tunnel. Every so often I call Waylon’s name, hoping he’ll answer, but I don’t hear anything.

            I keep following the rope until I reach the end of it. I consider going back the other way but decide if the tunnels are changing anyway, then there’s no point. So I keep going.

            I’m tired. I don’t want to keep walking but I don’t want to stop.

            My flashlight blinks before shutting off entirely. I dig around in my bag until I feel the extra batteries. I pull them out and slip them into the flashlight but it doesn’t turn back on.

            “No,” I whimper as I continuously press the on button. “No, no, no! Why isn’t this working! These batteries should be new! Please, please, please!”

            I stop and look around. It’s so dark I can’t even see my hand in front of my face. I’m hearing things I didn’t hear before. It sounds like things are moving around me.

            I hug myself and look around fearfully. It’s almost suffocating.

            I move forward slowly, taking small steps. I don’t know how many minutes- if any- pass before I hit a wall. I feel along with my hands, looking for a turn, before going back.

            I feel something skitter past my feet. I squeal and jump, slamming into the wall. It wasn’t that close before.

            I slide along the wall to the right side and feel for another way out but there’s no turn off.

            I hear footsteps in front of me. I press against the wall and stare ahead, straining to see through the inky blackness.

            “W-Waylon?” I say hopelessly. There’s no answer.

            I sink to the floor, hugging myself and choking on sobs. The noises are getting louder and closer. It feels like I’m surrounded. I’m having a hard time breathing. I have nowhere to go. I’m trapped forever in this endless darkness.


	93. Fanatics 53

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tak calls in a favour, causing Pepito to have a moral dilemma.

The Break-in

 

            The kids are in health class. To avoid actually teaching, the teacher has just set up a video for everyone to watch. It’s about the changes a teenage body might go through. Nobody’s really paying attention; Dib is reading a book- probably about the supernatural- Pepito is throwing pencils into the ceiling, and Squee is writing in his notebook.

            The only one watching is Zim. He can’t look away. It’s like seeing a dead thing on the side of the road. It’s disgusting and disturbing but also really fascinating.

            After class they walk to their lockers. Zim shakes his head, as if he’s trying to shake out the memory of that video.

            “The human body is so gross,” he groans.

            “Come on. Like your species is so much cleaner,” Pepito scoffs.

            “Excuse you,” Zim snaps, offended, “Irkens are all about neatness and cleanliness. We despise filth.”

            “I have to agree with Zim on this,” Squee says, “humans are gross.”

            “See, Squee gets it.”

            As they arrive at their lockers, they slow to a stop when they see Kat standing there with Gaz.

            “What do you want?” Zim demands.

            “Pepito,” Kat replies, “I’m calling in my favour.”

            “What, now?” Pepito asks, “we’ve still got like two more periods left.”

            “Relax,” she grunts, “I’m only going to tell you what I want you to do. The actual favour will be completed another day.”  
            “Alright,” he shrugs and leans against the lockers. “What do you want?”  
            “Not here. We will speak in the washroom,” she orders.

            “Fine,” he groans and waves to his friends. “I’ll catch up with you guys later.”

            He and Gaz follow Kat through the sea of students into the girl’s bathroom. There are two kids making out on the counter. They flinch and scurry out when Kat shoots them an evil look.

            “Alright. Gaz has informed me that tomorrow, Zim will be spending the day with Dib at his house,” Kat says.

            “You said that?” Pepito asks.

            “She asked,” Gaz shrugs.

            “This means that Zim’s lab will be unprotected,” Kat adds.

            “No, his security system will still be running,” Pepito points out, “also Gir, Minimoose, and Skoodge should still be there.”

            “That’s where you two come in,” Kat states, “I’ve seen in my surveillance that Zim’s security system does not see you two as a threat so you can just waltz into his house without so much as knocking on the door. You’re also friends with his minions. So I want the two of you to break me into Zim’s lab.”  
            “What? No way!” Pepito snaps, “I wouldn’t betray Zim like that!”

            “You don’t have a choice,” Kat retorts, “you owe me, remember? I helped you guys with your stupid video game war.”

            “That Gaz’s thing, not mine,” he points out.

            “Yes, but didn’t you owe a Gaz favour? And she made that favour helping me with whatever I wanted. Are you so dishonourable that you won’t return your favour?”

            Pepito flinches. “But…that…”

            Kat sighs. “We won’t go through with the plan until tomorrow. You have until then to think about it. Be at my house by nine with your answer.”

             She walks past them and leaves the washroom.

            Pepito stares at the wall with confusion, thoughts swirling around his head. Gaz watches him curiously.

            “Do you really care about Zim that much?” she asks.

            “Doesn’t matter how much I care about him,” he replies, “he’s still my friend. I can’t betray his trust like this.”

            “Well, what about me? Am I your friend?”

            “I guess.”  
            “Then shouldn’t you help honour my debt.”  
            Pepito looks at her with surprise and groans. “Why do you gotta be so manipulative?”

            Gaz just shrugs. “I don’t like it either but it’s not like we got a choice. We owe her.”

            The bell rings.

            “We should get to class,” Gaz says, “and don’t mention this to anyone.”

            Pepito stares after her miserably as she leaves before following.

            Throughout the rest of the afternoon, Zim keeps asking Pepito what it is Kat wants him to do but he won’t say. He just answers every question with “I can’t tell you.” Whatever it is, Zim can tell it’s clearly bothering him.

            Later that evening, Pepito approaches his mom nervously.

            “Um, Mom, can I get your advice on something?” he asks.

            “Of course,” she replies.

            Pepito takes a deep breath. “Okay, so let’s say I kind of owe one of my friends a favour, right? And she owes someone else a favour so she basically made me also owe that person a favour. But in doing that favour I would betray another friend. So I gotta choose between not honouring my debt to one friend and betraying another. How do I decide what to do?”

            Rose rubs her chin. “That’s a tough one. Either way you could end up hurting a friend.”

            “Exactly. That’s why I don’t know what to do.”

            “I’m not sure my advice would be helpful here,” she admits, “I don’t know what I would do if I were in your shoes.”  

            Pepito sighs. “I don’t wanna hurt anyone.”

            “I know,” Rose smiles sympathetically as she squeezes Pepito’s shoulder. “But all you can do is follow your gut. And whatever happens, I’ll be here for you.”

            Pepito smiles gratefully. Then he goes up to his room to consider his dilemma.

            He really doesn’t want to hurt Gaz or Zim. But this whole situation is practically pitting them against each other.

            He likes Gaz. He doesn’t want to not help her. But Zim’s his friend too. And he made Pepito second-in-command of the Battalion. In the real world that might seem useless, but it still means a lot. And what sort of commander would he be if he betrayed his leader to his worst enemy?

            Pepito sighs. Isn’t there a way he can do this so he doesn’t hurt anyone?

            He blinks with surprise as a thought enters his head. Wait. Maybe there is.

            The next day, Pepito’s mom drops him off at Kat’s house. As she drives away, Pepito spots Gaz walking down the street.

            “You actually showed up,” she says, “so are you actually gonna do it?”

            “I guess so,” he shrugs.

            “If it makes you feel any better, I don’t really like it either.”

            “You don’t like much of anything.”

            Pepito knocks on the door and Kat answers quickly.

            “Ah, good. You’re both here,” she nods approvingly.

            “Yeah. So let’s get this over with already,” Pepito demands.

            “Zim has left his base?” Kat asks.

            “Yes. He was just arriving at my house when I left,” Gaz replies.

            “Good. Let’s go,” she orders and leaves.

            They hurry through the city to Zim’s house and slow to a stop as they approach the cul-de-sac.

            “Okay. I’ll go inside and distract Skoodge, Gir, and Minimoose,” Pepito explains, “I’ll text Gaz when it’s safe for you guys to go into the lab.”

            “Alright. Make it quick,” Kat orders.

            Pepito crosses the street to Zim’s house and let’s himself in like it’s his own home. Skoodge, Gir, and Minimoose are sitting on the couch watching some weird cartoon on the TV.

            “Hey, guys,” Pepito sings.

            “Pepito?” Skoodge questions, “Zim’s not here.”

            “Oh. Well, that’s okay. I’ll hang out with you guys,” he declares as he flops down on the couch.

            “Horny!” Gir exclaims excitedly as he hops onto Pepito’s head and pokes at his horns through his beanie.

            “Wow, I wish you wouldn’t call me that,” he comments.

            “Hey, you know what we should?” Pepito asks as he hops to his feet, Gir still on his head. “We should make waffles!”

            “Waffles!” Gir cries and flies into the kitchen.

            “Yeah, waffles,” Pepito smiles, “you like waffles, Skoodge?”

            “Yeah,” he nods excitedly.

            “Alright, let’s go make some,” he demands and trots into the kitchen. Skoodge and Minimoose follow.

            They get to work at making waffles. Gir splashes batter all the over the place while Skoodge tries to tell him how to do it properly and Minimoose just hovers there. Pepito watches them for a few minutes before pulling out his phone and sending Gaz a quick text.

            The front door creaks open and Gaz peeks inside. Pepito motions for her to be quiet and frantically points to the stairs.

            Gaz and Kat slip inside and tiptoe through the kitchen and to the stairs. Skoodge and the other are too busy making waffles to notice them.

            Once the girls have successfully made it upstairs, Pepito sneaks away and joins them at the elevator.

            “Okay, let’s go. Everyone inside before they notice I’m gone,” he orders and ushers them through the doors.

            “It doesn’t even have a code?” Kat scoffs, “it’s like he wants people to break in.”

            The elevator takes them underground. It opens up to the main lab and they step out.

            Kat looks around with distaste. “Most of this technology looks Vortian. He probably doesn’t even have anything useful.”

            “Then why are you here?” Pepito asks.

            “Destruction mostly,” she shrugs, “anyway, I don’t need you two anymore. You’re free to go.”  
            She starts to walk away when Pepito takes his guitar off his back and points it at her. “That’s far enough, Tak.”

            Both she and Gaz look at him with surprise.

            “What do you think you’re doing?” Kat asks.

            “You know, this was a real moral dilemma for me,” Pepito says, “I didn’t want to betray Zim but I know I had to help Gaz. So I decided to do both. I’ll help you get inside Zim’s lab, thereby repaying our debt to you and then I’ll protect it, fulfilling my duty as his ally. Pretty clever, right?”

            “I see,” Kat muses, “I suppose it was foolish of me to think you’d actually help the enemy of your ally.”  
            “Exactly,” Pepito smirks.

            “No matter,” she shrugs. Her human disguise drops, revealing her real cyborg-Irken self. She clangs her robotic fingers together and glares at him. “It’ll be easy enough to defeat you and destroy this lab.”   

            “You wish,” Pepito growls.

            Tak’s PAK opens up, releasing four long spider legs. They shoot purple lasers at Pepito. He dives out of the way and swings his guitar, firing a wave of black energy at her. She ducks under it and charges him.

            Her spider legs stab at him. He sticks out his hand and creates a transparent, black force field, blocking the attack. They hold each other in a parry, growling furiously. 

            Tak leaps backwards and fires more lasers. Pepito dodges them quickly while he runs towards her, then he shoots two energy waves at her. She ducks under one and rolls out of the way of the other.

            They pant as they glare at each other.

            Tak’s cybernetic eye flashes. Pepito gasps and quickly looks away, recognizing her brainwashing technique. When he checks to make sure it’s safe, Tak is in the air in front of him, her spider legs plunging towards him.

            Pepito’s eyes widen as the sharp points near his face.

            Just before they can penetrate, something slams into Tak’s stomach and sends her flying across the room.

            Gaz steps forward, bat in hand. She slams it into the floor intimidatingly.

            “Thanks, Gaz,” Pepito sighs with relief.          

            Tak stands up, glaring angrily and rubbing her stomach.

            Gaz points her bat at her dramatically. “What’s your problem anyway? Why are you so obsessed with revenge?”

            “Zim ruined my life! Countless times!” Tak shouts, “I must do the same to him!”

            “By destroying his base?” Gaz scoffs, “you tried that once before, remember? It just got rebuilt!” [A/N. Referencing my old IZ fanfic, Not Quite Un-Right.]

            “It’s a process!” she insists.

            “This isn’t even about revenge at this point,” Pepito says, “it’s like an obsession now. Like you’ve got nothing better to do.”

            “Maybe I don’t!”

            Gaz and Pepito blink with surprise. Tak’s eye widens, like she’s realizing what she just said.

            “Maybe…maybe I don’t,” she mutters.

            “Tak?” Pepito questions.

            “What do you two know?” she barks, making them both flinch with surprise. “You don’t know anything about me! You’re just a couple of weak humans living your cushy lives. You couldn’t possibly understand!”

            She falls to her knees, visibly deflating from exhaustion.

            “I think I understand quite a bit actually,” Pepito says quietly, “you used to live a life someone else created for you. Everything was already planned out and you just had to follow it. But maybe you didn’t want to or maybe something ruined it all.”

            He starts slowly walking up to her. “Whatever the case everything’s different now. You don’t know what’s going to happen and it’s scary. You’ve never experienced anything like this before. You feel like you’re all by yourself. Sure there are people around, but you’re not sure if they can help. Maybe they can’t.”

            “But sometimes all you really need is for someone to go up to you and say-.” He bends down in front of her so they’re face to face. “-it’s okay.”

            Tak stares at him with surprise. Then tears begin to well up in her one good eye. She quickly looks away.

            “It’s okay to cry,” Pepito says.

            She shakes her head. “D-do you know why Zim is considered a defective Irken?”

            “I imagine it could be any number of reasons,” he replies.

            “It is. But one of the main reasons is because he relies on others.”

            “Irkens- particularly Irken invaders- are supposed to be completely independent. It’s not some ideology we’re taught like it is for humans. It’s how we’re made. It’s why we have PAKs and SIR units. We’re supposed to use them as tools so we don’t have to rely on anyone.”

            “Zim’s not like that. He’d argue that but I’ve seen it in my surveillance. He relies on you guys and his minions not just as subordinates but as…company. It’s…it’s unheard of for an Irken. And completely wrong.”

            “For me to show this emotion in front of you two because of a couple nice words, it’s like I’m trusting you not to attack me while I’m weak,” she concludes, “it’s like I’m relying on you. An Irken invader should not rely on their enemies.”

            “Good thing you’re not an Irken invader anymore,” Gaz grunts as she sits beside her.

            “Yeah,” Pepito adds as he sits on her other side. “And who said we have to be enemies?”

            Tak looks at both of them with surprise before breaking down. She buries her face in her hands and sobs quietly.

            Pepito and Gaz don’t try to touch her or say anything. They just sit patiently beside her.

            They’re sitting there for quite a few minutes when Gaz’s phone suddenly vibrates.

            “Uh, guys,” she says as she reads something off it. “Zim and Dib are gonna be here in a few minutes.”  
            “How do you know?” Pepito asks.

            “Dib just texted me. He wants to know where I am,” she replies.

            “Damn,” he grunts, “Zim won’t be happy if he catches us down here.”

            “It’s okay,” Tak says as she wipes her eye. “I don’t want to be here anymore.”

            “We can sneak you out through the window in the kitchen,” Pepito suggests as they stand up.

            They hurry into the elevator and ride it up to the surface. On the way, Tak puts her human disguise back on.

            They arrive at the second floor of the house and hurry downstairs. Kat and Gaz stay in the stairwell while Pepito checks to make sure it’s safe. Not much has changed since they went into the lab. Skoodge, Gir, and Minimoose are still trying to make waffles and causing a huge mess.

            Pepito quietly motions for the girls to hurry. He slides open the window leading to the back alley while they silently approach.

            “I um appreciate the help,” Kat says quietly as she climbs out.

            “Sure,” Gaz nods.

            “And, hey, I meant what I said,” Pepito says, “we don’t have to be enemies. If you ever want to talk or hang out, feel free to call us.”

            Kat looks at them thoughtfully. She starts to say something, stops, then leaves without another word.

            The front door suddenly opens. Pepito quickly slams the window shut and spins around so he and Gaz are blocking the view.

            “Huh?” Zim grunts as he and Dib walk in. “What are you two doing here?”

            “Oh, you know just-.” Pepito’s cut off by a ball of batter flying past his face. “Uh making waffles?”

            “What about Tak?” Dib asks, “weren’t you supposed to help her with some no doubt nefarious plot?”

            “Oh that. Um,” Pepito muses and looks Gaz hopefully.

            “She changed her mind,” she shrugs.

            “Oh,” Zim and Dib grunt with surprise.

            “Yup,” Pepito nods.

            A handful of batter suddenly splatters all over Zim’s head. “Gir!” he barks.

           

            On Monday, Zim, Dib, Gaz, Pepito, and Squee settle down at their usual table in the cafeteria after a long morning of Skool. As they get ready to dig into their lunch, Kat approaches their table.

            “C-can I…sit with you guys?” she asks hesitantly as she looks away with embarrassment.

            “No-!” Zim and Dib start to snap but abruptly shut up when Gaz kicks them both in the shin.           

            “Sure, Ta-I mean, Kat,” Pepito replies happily as he slides over. “Here, you can sit right next to me.”

            Kat sits stiffly on the bench and stares at the table. Zim and Dib glare at her suspiciously; Gaz quietly plays her Game Slave; Pepito talks incessantly about this and that; Squee watches Kat curiously before smiling and eating his lunch.

            It feels weird and unnatural. But maybe, just maybe, Tak can get used to this.


	94. Fanatics 54

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nny, Devi, and Tenna get into some trouble, one cold winter night.

The Hive

 

            The cold, winter air bites into Johnny as he strolls through the dark, snowy streets. His breath is visible and foggy.

            The cold never bothered Johnny. Sometimes he even finds it comfortable during times when he feels like being alone.

            It’s eerily quiet. Nobody in their right mind would be out this late on a night this cold, not unless they had to be. Or they’re a little nuts.

            Johnny slows to a stop when he notices a couple people enter the street up ahead. It’s too dark for him to make out their features. On the other hand, he is standing directly under a streetlamp.

            “Hey, look, it’s Johnny!” a girl’s voice exclaims and he relaxes instantly. It’s Tenna and Devi.

            “What are you two doing out? You must be freezing,” he says as he approaches them, noting how bundled up they are.

            “We could ask you the same thing,” Devi retorts.

            “I know why I’m out. But why are you out?”  
            She scoffs and rolls her eyes.

            “Devi needed to go out so I went with her,” Tenna explains, “cause only weirdos go out at night alone.”  
            “Well, you’re right about that,” Johnny grunts.

            “So where are you heading?” she asks.

            “Nowhere,” he replies, “I just like walking around during winter nights. Everything’s so silent and still.”  
            “Yeah,” Devi agrees, “it’s peaceful.”

            They stand still for a second, basking in the tranquillity. And then they flinch when a crash is heard from somewhere down the street.

            “What the fuck was that?” Devi asks.

            “An animal?” Tenna suggests.

            “Let’s uh let’s go the other way,” Devi orders as she turns.

            “You don’t want to investigate it?” Johnny questions.

            “What, like the dumb bitch in every horror movie?” she scoffs, “they’re always the first to die. And that won’t be me.”  
            She starts to turn down a side street when something large flies across on the other end, just barely illuminated by a nearby light.

            “What the fuck was that?” she asks again, more panicked this time.

            “It was like the biggest bird I’ve ever seen!” Tenna exclaims.

            “I don’t think it was a bird,” Johnny mutters.

            They stare ahead with bewilderment, slowly backing away. Then a tingle runs up Johnny’s neck. He spins around just in time to see something perched up on a nearby lamp post before it swoops down.

            “Get down!” Johnny shouts and tackles Devi and Tenna to the ground. The monster screeches directly over their heads, its talons brushing through Johnny’s hair.

            “What the FUCK is that?” Devi screams a third time.

            Whatever it is, it isn’t normal. It’s not near any lights and the moon is completely covered by dark clouds so they can’t make out what exactly it is. But it’s long with wings and big talons and it screeches like a monster bird.

            “We gotta move!” Johnny orders. He grabs the girls by the back of their jackets and yanks them to their feet. He shoves them ahead. They run for a couple feet but stop and look back when he doesn’t follow them.

            He’s facing the creature in the sky. He unzips his jacket and pulls out a large machete. It dives at him. He ducks and swings his machete. The blade just scrapes one of the talons as it lifts back up in the air.

            “Come on, you demon bird,” he snarls as he tosses his machete hand to hand.

            It screeches at him, as if retorting his challenge, then swoops at him. He ducks and swings again and this time he actually manages to successfully cut off a talon. It clatters to the ground, dark blood spraying out as the creature screeches in pain and flies back into the sky.

            Johnny picks up the talon and examines it. “That’s the biggest claw I’ve ever seen.”  
            “Johnny, look out!” Devi exclaims.

            He looks up as the demon bird swoops down again.

            “Coming back for more?” he snarls, “this time I’ll take your whole foot.”  
            He gets ready to duck and swing but this time it doesn’t come close enough to hit him. This time it flies over and behind him.

            It’s going for the girls!  
            They scream and dive into the snow as it screeches by, talons first. It quickly spins around and aims for Devi.

            Johnny races down the road and jumps. He aims to land on the creature’s back and stab it into the head. But it sees him coming and turns to face him. They slam into each other face to face. Johnny wraps his arms around its neck and tries to cut him but the creature strikes first, digging its talons into his legs. He shouts in pain as it takes off into the sky, Johnny attached to it.

            “Johnny!” Devi and Tenna exclaims.

            “Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Johnny screams as he goes higher and higher into the sky.

            Devi and Tenna watch them, wide eyed until they disappear into the darkness.

            “What the fuck was that thing?” Devi asks for the final time.

            “I don’t know,” Tenna replies, “but it stole Johnny.”

            “Yeah,” she growls as he picks up his machete. “We better go get him back.”  
           They jog down the road in the direction the creature went. They keep their eyes on the skies, watching for the beast, but they don’t see it.

            “We’ll never find it,” Tenna pants and slows to a stop.

            “We’ve got to,” Devi growls and looks around for anything that might help.

            She notices something in the snow, illuminated by a lamp post. It looks like a little red dot.

            “Look,” she says as she trots up to it. She touches it with her gloved hand. It’s wet and fresh.

            “Blood?” Tenna questions.

            “From when Johnny cut it,” Devi points out, “we were looking in the wrong direction.”  
            They start going down the street, slower this time, their eyes on the ground. They find another blood spot a few feet away.

            “Another one,” Tenna states.

            “Yeah,” Devi nods, “just hang on, Nny, we’ll find you.”  
            Meanwhile, Johnny keeps his arms wrapped tightly around the creature’s neck. It hasn’t removed the talons from his legs but even it did, he still wouldn’t let go. What would he do if he did? He’s so high in the sky he can’t even see the ground. If he tried to escape, he would just fall to his death.

            He thinks he might know what the creature is. It’s definitely not a human or an animal. It’s kind of got the body of a human. But instead of feet it has talons. There are long feathers sticking out of its arms, like long wings, and there are smaller feathers all along its body. Its eyes are big and round and black and instead of a nose or mouth it has a beak. It’s like bird-human hybrid. Like a harpy.

            “So….where are you taking me?” Johnny asks, “and are we going to get there soon? It’s kind of cold up here.”

            The harpy doesn’t respond. It doesn’t even seem to understand or acknowledge him. But then without warning, it nosedives.

            “Whoa, whoa! I didn’t mean to impatient!” Johnny screams, “there’s no need for a Kamikaze!”

            The cold air whips so hard against Johnny’s face that he can barely keep his eyes open. But he does see the road getting closer and closer.

            He braces himself for impact but instead of slamming into concrete, they burst through the snow and fly into a manhole. It swings open like a door and they go into a dark tunnel.

            Johnny stares ahead with surprise. It’s so dark he can’t see anything but the harpy seems to know where it’s going. It takes sharp turns and goes up and down as if following a hill.

            “Are we in the labyrinth?” Johnny asks, “I’ve never gone this far before. But you seem to know where you’re going so I won’t judge.”  
            They fly on for a few more minutes before the creature slows down. It releases its talons from Nny’s legs, dropping them to the ground which is surprisingly close.

            “Oh, end of the ride?” Johnny asks, “okay.”

            He lets go of the creature’s neck and falls flat on to the stone floor. It flies off somewhere without him, but doesn’t go too far. He can still hear it flapping its wings.

            “Woo, it’s warm down,” Johnny comments as he takes off his jacket. “Where is here anyway?”  
            He digs around in the pocket until he finds a flashlight and shines it around. He’s in some sort of large cavern with a high ceiling. There are loads of bones and skulls littering the ground, all of them human. And attached to a far wall is some kind of large mound made of sticks and grasses. It kind of looks like a huge hive.

            “Oh, this isn’t good,” Johnny comments.

            Meanwhile, back on the surface, Devi and Tenna trot down the snowy road, following the trail of blood drops. They’ve been moving for quite a few minutes and they don’t seem to be catching up. They don’t spot the creature anywhere in the sky.

            They slow to a stop when they see something odd: all of the snow blown away around a manhole.

          “There’s no more blood spots,” Devi says as she looks around. “Think it went through here?”  
            “Maybe,” Tenna shrugs, “but why the sewers?”

            “I don’t know. Maybe it lives down there,” she shrugs, “let’s just go.”

            They stick their fingers through the holes and get a good grip.

            “Alright, on three,” Devi orders, “one, two, three!”

            With grunts of exertion they lift the manhole cover up and out of the hole. They sigh with relief as they drop it and peek inside.

            It’s so dark they can’t see the bottom. Devi grabs her phone, turns on the flashlight, and shines it down. It’s not too deep but it’s wide with dirt walls and floor. It’s definitely not a sewer.

            “This must be the underground labyrinth!” Tenna exclaims.

            “No way, we can’t go down there,” Devi snaps, “you’ve heard the rumours. We could get trapped down there forever!”

            “Didn’t Squee and his friends make it out of here before?” she asks, “I’m sure we can do it. Besides, look.” She points at the floor of the tunnel where they can barely make out a small splatter of blood. “We must be getting close.”

            “Fine,” Devi groans, “but Johnny’s gonna owe me big time.”

            They hop into the hole, landing in a crouch. Devi shines her phone around. They’re in a middle of a tunnel, with the blood going down the right.

            “Let’s stay close,” Devi orders as she sticks out her hand. Tenna squeezes it and they move quickly but carefully through the dark tunnels.

            “How far do you think he is?” Tenna asks.

            “Who knows. They say these tunnels are always changing,” Devi replies, “he could be close for one minute and then far away another.”  
            “Then we better find him quickly,” Tenna points out, “think he’ll hear us if we shout?”

            “Maybe.”

            “Johnny!” Tenna shouts, “Johnny!”

            Back in the harpy’s nest, Johnny sits patiently among the human bones as he watches his captor curiously. It’s perched on top of the hive and appears to be tending to its missing talon as it pecks at it gently. When it’s finished, it flutters off the hive and into one of the holes.

            Johnny struggles to stand up and stumbles towards the opening. The harpy’s talons stabbed him pretty deep but it’s nothing he can’t shake off. But he still has to move fast before he loses a lot of blood. And before the harpy catches him leaving.

            “Johnny! Johnny!” he hears a voice shout from somewhere in the tunnels. He flinches and spins around, worried the harpy is going to be disturbed.

            He can hear movement coming from inside the hive. Lots of movement.

            “Damn, what are they doing here?” he growls and rushes to the opening. As he turns into the tunnel, he nearly runs into Devi and Tenna.

            “Johnny!” Tenna cheers.

            “Wow, we actually found you,” Devi says, surprised.       

            “You two shouldn’t have come at all!” he snaps.

            “That’s an awfully nice thing to say,” she retorts, “we risked our lives coming down here.”

            “That’s what I’m saying!” he insists.

            He winces when the movement gets louder and shines his flashlight back into the cavern. Five different beaks poke out of the holes in the hive.

            “We gotta go now!” he orders.

            “Can you run?” Tenna asks.

            “I’ll be fine,” he replies as they start racing down the tunnel. They don’t get very far before they hear multiple loud screeches from the cavern.

            “They sound pissed,” Devi comments.

            “I was supposed to be their dinner,” Johnny says, “you’d be pissed too.”  
            “What are they? How many are there?” Tenna asks.

            “I think they’re called harpies,” he replies, “and there are at least five. We won’t be able to outrun them.”

            “Then what do we do?” Devi asks.

            He doesn’t answer.

            They screech again, this time closer.

            “They’re coming!” Tenna cries.

            Johnny shines his flashlight behind them, as the five harpies fly towards them. They screech in pain from the sudden harsh light and fall to the ground.

            “Are they sensitive to light?” Tenna asks.

            “They do live in darkness,” Johnny points out, “alright, I got an idea. You two go meet me by the entrance. Oh, and give me that.” He yanks his machete out of Devi’s hand.

            “What? You want us to leave you?” Devi questions, “what if you can’t find us?”  
            “Don’t worry about me,” he snaps, “just go, hurry.”

           Devi hesitates but Tenna takes her arm and pulls her down the tunnel. They turn and run off, leaving Johnny alone with the harpies. They are starting to recover from the light and regain their senses. Johnny better act fast.

            He grabs another knife from his jacket and leaps into the pile of harpies like a wildcat. Before any of them can react, he digs his machete into one’s forehead and slices the top of its head clean off. It drops dead immediately.

            The other harpies screech angrily at the sight of their dead kin. Johnny quickly grabs another by the back of its head, stabs it in the neck, and slices off its head.

            The other harpies grow wary. Johnny stands up straight up, knives in hands, and snarls at the first one; the one with the missing talon.

            “Not so easy when you can’t fly around, is it?” he growls, “now, let’s finish this.”  
            Meanwhile, Devi and Tenna race down the tunnels, looking for the open manhole. It seems much longer than when they last went down. And there’s more turns too. But they don’t dwell on it, they just keep running.

            “Look, there it is!” Tenna exclaims as they spot the light pouring in through the manhole.

            “Oh, thank god,” Devi sighs and slows to a stop. “Now where’s that idiot?”

            “Do you think he’ll beat them?” Tenna asks, “do you think he’ll find us?”

            “I don’t care anymore,” she grunts, “god, he’s so rude and inconsiderate. I mean we totally risked our lives to find him.”  
            “Maybe that’s why he was pissed,” she suggests.

            “Like he cares that much.”

            They wait quietly in the light, looking up and down the tunnel. They wait for quite a few minutes with no sign of Johnny.

            “Alright, if he’s not here in five minutes, I’m leaving without him,” Devi declares, “I wanna go to bed.”

            “Wait, someone’s coming,” Tenna says.

            They stare tensely down the tunnel as the sound of footsteps reaches their ears. They relax for a second when Johnny enters the light of Devi’s phone, until they see he’s covered in blood.

            “Jeez, are you okay?” Tenna asks with surprise.

           “Yeah, most of it’s not mine,” he shrugs as he wipes some blood from a scratch on his cheek. “Now let’s get the hell out of here. I gotta get back to my house before this shit freezes.”

            “Okay. Can you hoist us through the hole?” Tenna asks as she tries reaching for the manhole.

            “Fine,” Johnny groans. He holds out his hands and helps the girls climb to the surface. Then they help pull him up.

            The sky is slowly starting to light up as the sun rises over the horizon. Exhaustion is hitting Johnny, Devi, and Tenna hard as they begin walking down the street.

            “So I guess you really didn’t need our help,” Devi mumbles.

            “Nah,” Johnny grunts, “but, you know, thanks for…coming to get me.”

            Devi starts at him with surprise.

            “Hey, no problem,” Tenna chimes as he cheerfully slaps Johnny on the back. Then she groans with disgust and wipes the blood off her hand onto his arm.

            They walk quietly for a few minutes before Devi and Tenna stop at a turn off.

            “Okay, I’m going to go home and sleep for like the next twelve hours,” Devi yawns.

            “I’ll join you,” Tenna says, “but like in my own bed.”

            Johnny waves silently to them as they walk away then hurries to his house. He can already feel his clothes getting stiff from the blood starting to freeze.

            By the time he makes it home the sun has risen about halfway over the horizon. He opens the front door and drags himself towards the bathroom.

            Squee comes out of his bedroom, just waking up, and flinches with surprise as Johnny lumbers by.

            “What happened to you?” he exclaims, noting all the blood and scratches.

            “Oh, you know,” Nny grunts, “just-just a cuh-razy night.”

            He trudges into the bathroom without another word for a much needed shower. 


	95. Fanatics 55.1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mussolini returns for another chance at revenge.

The Past Returns: The Rereturning Part One

 

            Carson hustles down the hall to Mussolini’s office. He knocks on the door and peeks inside.

            “You called for me, Mr. Mussolini?” he asks.

            “Carson, yes,” Mussolini replies. He’s sitting in his chair at his long table, looking at a tablet. There are two well-dressed, well-built man standing beside him. “Come in, sit.”  
            Carson enters and sits at the far end of the table. Mussolini slides the tablet across to him. “Take a look, tell me what you see.”

            Carson looks at the screen. It’s showing a picture of an awkward teen with short, black hair and big, brown eyes. He’s looking into the camera with an uncomfortable expression. Carson recognizes him immediately.

            “Squee C, Johnny’s kid,” he says.

            “Exactly,” Mussolini nods, “that’s the most current picture I could find of him. It’s his school photo.”

            “Now slide to the next screen and tell me what you see,” he orders.

            Carson does so. It’s another picture of an awkward boy, a few years younger than the first. He also has short, black hair and big, brown eyes. His expression is just as uncomfortable and also filled with fear.

            Carson looks at Mussolini questionably.

            “That boy is named Todd Casil,” Mussolini explains, “about five years ago he was admitted into the Defective Head Meats Institute because he was deemed insane. A year later, he broke out and disappeared.”

            “They look at lot alike, don’t you think?”

            “Todd Casil is wanted by the police for his escape,” Mussolini continues, “if I can connect Squee C to Todd Casil, I can ruin him.”

            “Sir, you’re not still grinding on Johnny, are you?”  Carson asks exhaustedly.

            “I am the most powerful man in the city,” Mussolini barks, “I will not be defeated and humiliated by some homicidal nobody! I will have my revenge, one way or another. You’re either with me or against me.”  
            “Yes, sir,” Carson sighs, “what would you have me do?”  
            Mussolini slides a business card across the table. “Contact this man. I figure he and his wife are gonna want to know we found their son.”

            “What about Squee?” Carson asks as he pockets the card.

            “I will have my men pick him up,” he replies, “now, go.”

            “Yes, sir,” Carson nods and leaves. He groans as he leans against the closed door and rubs his upset stomach.

            “If Johnny doesn’t kill me,” he mumbles as he walks away, “the guilt definitely will.”

           

            “You take him.”

            “You take him.”

            Squee leans against the wall of the gymnasium and glares at the two teams with annoyance. The captain’s argue amongst themselves about who should take Squee, who has been named the worst athlete in the class. Behind them, Zim, Dib, and Pepito watch them with a mix of aggravation and pity. Poor Squee is always picked last.

          “You know,” Pepito says, interrupting the arguing, “Squee is the fastest runner in the Skool.”           

            “Yeah, but he can’t catch or throw worth shit,” one of the captain’s point out.

            “Watch your language,” the coach, Sergeant Slab Rankle, scolds, “Squee will go on Team B. Otherwise the teams will be odd numbered.”

            “He’s more of a hindrance than a help,” the captain of Team B scoffs.

            Zim, Dib, and Pepito growl angrily. Squee sighs and starts to advance towards Team B when an announcement sounds over the PA.

            “Squee C, come to the office please. Squee C, to the office.”

            “Ah, well, we’ll just start without you,” Slab Rankle says.

            “Right,” Squee grunts and leaves the gym. He’s not in a hurry. He would rather not go back to the gym at all.

            But he wonders why he’s being called to the office. Did something happen? Is something wrong?

            His mind races as he approaches the office. He slows to a stop when he sees two men standing by the front desk. They’re large, muscular, and wearing suits. Squee doesn’t recognize them.

            They look up and spot Squee down the hall. He immediately spins on his heel and races away.

            “Hey!” he hears one shout but he ignores them and keeps running. He races up the stairs to his locker. He struggles to unlock it with his trembling fingers     , constantly looking down the hall for the strangers.

            He successfully opens it just as they reach the top floor. He throws it open, grabs his coat, a notebook, and a pen, and races away.

            They chase after him but he’s much faster than them. He pulls on his coat as he runs down the hall. He takes the right turn, checks behind them to see how close they are, then ducks into the boy’s washroom. He closes the door quietly, to help hide his tracks, and locks it.

            He doesn’t waste time waiting to see what happens. He climbs up onto the counter and opens the window at the top of the room. He clambers through and hangs off by the fingers. He’s on the second floor so it’s a long drop.

            He holds his breath and lets go. He lands on his feet and falls back into the snow. Good thing he doesn’t wear shorts for gym.

            Squee stands up, dusts himself off, and looks around. Now what? All of his stuff is in the change room, including Shmee, his books, his knives and bombs, and his phone. Will he be able to get to the gym to grab it all? Is it okay to sneak back into the Skool? He already snuck out.

            Was running even good idea? He doesn’t know who those guys are. Maybe they’re not his enemies. Although in his experience, big guys in suits are rarely not enemies.

            He sighs and looks at the notebook and pen in his hand. He brought them just in case. But he’s not going to use them until he’s sure he’s in danger. Until then, maybe he’ll just go to Zim’s house and stay there for the rest of the day. If he is in danger, he’ll be safe there.

            He struggles through the deep snow, shivering as it falls into his shoes. He sighs with relief when he makes it to the street, kicks the snow off his legs, and trots down the sidewalk.

            He keeps a close eye on his surroundings as he moves. Nobody would be able to sneak up on him without his realizing. But nobody bothers trying to sneak up on him.

            A black limousine starts to pull over next to him. He glances at it long enough to see men in suits sitting inside before he books it.

            Great. Now what? These guys will definitely follow his footprints in the snow so he can’t go to Zim’s. So where can he go? He could lose them easily if there wasn’t snow on the ground. But there is and he has no way of covering his tracks.

            What do these guys want with him anyway? Who are they? Will they ever leave him alone?

            He clutches his notebook. Maybe it’d be better to just give in and see what happens.

            Squee slows to a stop and turns around. As he expected the limousine was following close behind. It would’ve caught up to him eventually if he hadn’t stopped. It pulls over and the back window rolls down.

            “Squee C,” one of the large, suited men says. “I work for Celio Mussolini.”  
            Squee flinches and steps back, ready to run again.

            “Easy,” he says quickly, “we won’t hurt you if you come quietly.”

            “What do you want?” Squee asks suspiciously.

            “Mr. Mussolini wants to see you,” he replies.

            “Why?”

            “That’s for Mr. Mussolini to say.”

            Squee glares at him then glances up and down the street, hoping for some sort of miracle to get him out of this.

            “Come inside,” the man says and opens the car door. “You must be cold.”

            Squee squirms uncertainly before entering. He has no other choice.

            There are eight large, well-dressed men sitting in the limo. The first man motions for Squee to sit between him and his partner. Squee does so and somehow he feels even smaller than usual.

            He sits there, clutching his notebook tightly to his chest as the limousine starts moving. He glances up at his captors nervously. None of them are looking at him. They’re either looking at their phones, at each other, or just straight ahead.

            He cracks open his notebook just a bit, scribbles something on the corner of a page, rips it out, and sticks it in his mouth. He swallows it and coughs as it slides down his throat.

            One of the men glances at him. Squee awkwardly clears his throat.

            “Sorry,” he mutters, “got a bit of a cold.”

            He looks away, uninterested. Squee sighs with relief and squeezes his notebook.

            Meanwhile, a ways away, the Night Terrors and their friends and roommates, Serena and Aron, huddle around a space heater in their van-turned-home.

            “Ugh it’s so fucking cold,” Eff moans.

            “Yes. It’s times like this I wish I had an apartment,” Aron sighs.

            “I wish I was still living in my mansion,” Serena adds.

            “You mean your parents’ mansion,” D-boy retorts.

            “Whatever,” she snaps.

            Something suddenly tumbles out of the Doughboys’ hats, which are lying on the beds behind them. They look back with surprise and the Night Terrors quickly scurry up to them.

            “Looks like…a ball of wet paper,” Reverend Meat says as he grabs one between two fingers and shakes it out.

            “Gross,” D-boy comments.

            “Is it a message from the little boss?” Eff asks.

            “What’s it say?” Sickness asks.

            “Find my stuff then find me,” Reverend reads.

            “What is this, a scavenger hunt?” D-boy scoffs.

            “Think he’s in trouble?” Sickness asks.

            “Why else would he call us?” Eff points out.

          “We better get to work then,” Reverend Meat orders as they stand up. “We’ll be back later.”           

            “Right, have fun,” Serena says apathetically. Neither she nor Aron have moved an inch from the heater.

            The Night Terrors exit their cold van into the even colder outdoors. They start racing through the snow, wall jump between a couple of buildings, and land on a roof. They look out into the city with contemplation.

            “So where would Squee’s stuff be?” Eff asks.

            “Well, today is a school day,” Reverend Meat points out, “so let’s try the High Skool.”

            They all nod agreeably and start racing over the city, jumping from building to building.

            At the High Skool, Zim, Dib, and Pepito stride through the hallways between classes. Pepito is carrying Squee’s bag and they search for their friend in the sea of students.

            “Where could he have gone?” Pepito asks worriedly, “he’s not at the office, not in the classroom. He wouldn’t just leave without all of his stuff.”

            “Definitely not,” Dib agrees.

            “Something must’ve happened,” Zim grunts, “but the worst part is, without his stuff, we have no way of tracking him down.”  
            “Actually, his cat, Nugget, might be able to track him,” Pepito points out, “she’s got a better nose than bloodhound.”

            “But that would mean telling Johnny Squee is missing,” Dib says.

            The three of them shudder fearfully.

            “Right, then. We’ll use that as a last resort,” Zim declares.

            “So what’s our first resort?” Pepito asks.

           Zim hums questionably as he considers the question. Before he can come up with an answer, they stop abruptly as a blast of cold air whips at them from the right and turn around. A window in the hallway has been opened. Lots of students chatter amongst themselves curiously as some sort of clown with black circles painted on his cheeks and ghosts on his top hat climbs through.

            “Hey, isn’t that one of Squee’s minions?” Dib asks.

            “Yeah. Psycho Doughboy, I think?” Pepito replies.

            “Actually it’s Mr. Fuck,” Eff corrects as he skips up to them. He takes Squee’s bag from Pepito’s hand, looks inside to makes sure it’s all there, nods approvingly at the boys, and skips back to the window.

            “Hey!” Zim barks and they chase after him. But he ignores them and leaps through the open window.

            The peek their heads through and watch with amazement as Eff scales the wall up to the roof like a squirrel.

            “Hey!” Zim barks, “if this is about Squee, let us help!”

            There’s no reply. Zim growls and releases his spider legs. He climbs through the window and they carry him up to the roof.

            “Hey!” he shouts at the Night Terrors as they leap away.

            “Sorry, buddy,” Sickness calls back, “Night Terror business. You understand.”

            Zim scoffs with disgust as they hop away. His spider legs carry him back into the Skool and he stomps down the hall.

            “What?” Dib asks as he and Pepito follow him.

            “We’re going after them,” Zim orders.

            “Okey dokey,” Pepito sings.

            They grab their stuff from their lockers, throw on their coats, and race out of the Skool, ignoring the class bell.

          “Keep your eyes on the roofs,” Zim orders, “they move fast so we can’t afford to lose them.”

            They can just barely see the Night Terrors leaping around at the top of the buildings a ways down the road. They pick up speed to try and catch up.

            Meanwhile, the limousine pulls over in a parking lot full of nice cars. The men all step out, pulling Squee out with them. They stand around him in a tight circle so he can’t even see past them and starting walking.

            Over their heads, Squee can see they’re entering a tall building. He can’t tell what it’s for, but if he had to guess he’d say it’s Mussolini Banks head office.

            They walk across shiny floors. Squee can hear people’s voices, but he can’t see anyone past his large captors.

            They enter an elevator. As soon as the doors close, the guards spin around like synchronized soldiers. Squee flinches from the sudden movement and hesitantly turns around.

            They go up the elevator all the way to the top and exit onto the floor. They march down the quiet hallway and stop at a seemingly random door. Squee is surprised to notice it’s not Mussolini’s office.

            As soon as they enter the room, they split away from Squee and leave without a word. He looks back with surprise and sighs when he hears the door lock behind them.

            He looks around the room curiously. It looks like some kind of conference room. There’s a rectangular table with chairs surrounding it and a small window in the far wall. It doesn’t look like it opens. Not to mention they’re on like the twentieth floor so he can’t exactly jump out.

            Squee squirms nervously, not sure what to do, when the door opens. He jumps and spins around as Mussolini walks in.

            He’s using a cane to walk. Squee remembers how horrible he looked with his horrendous scars, but with his left eye sealed shut by another ugly scar, he looks even worse.

            Mussolini glares at him for a second before smiling disarmingly. “It’s good to see you again, Squee C. Please, take a seat.”

            “I’d prefer to stand,” Squee grunts.

           Mussolini shrugs as he hobbles past and seats at the far end of the table. Squee glances back. The door’s been left open but there are two guards standing outside.

            “What do you want?” Squee asks.

            “Just some questions answered,” Mussolini replies, “see, I’ve been doing some research on you. And it seems you didn’t have any records until you started attending school a year ago.”

            “You really need a life,” he comments with distaste.

            “I have a life. I am President of the biggest bank corporation in the city and the most powerful crime leader,” Mussolini points out, “but I digress. Why exactly do you not have any records, Mr. C?”

            “I don’t know. Maybe they all burnt up or got lost in a virus or something,” Squee shrugs.

            “Maybe,” Mussolini muses, “or maybe you had a different name a year or three ago.”

            Squee’s stomach lurches. He hopes it doesn’t show. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”  
            “Oh, I think you do,” Mussolini purrs, “Todd Casil.”

            His heart skips a beat and Mussolini grin victoriously.

            There’s a knock on the open door and Squee spins around. Carson is standing there, looking in curiously. Squee glares at him with visible hatred.

            “Ah, Carson, just in time,” Mussolini says, “did you bring our guests?”

            “Yes, sir,” Carson nods as he walks in. Two people walk in behind him; a man and a woman. Both are middle aged. The man is wearing a simple suit and glasses and the woman is wearing a long skirt and sweater. They look at Squee curiously. He doesn’t recognize them. Not at first.

            “Mr. and Mrs. Casil I assume,” Mussolini says.         

            Squee’s heart nearly stops.


	96. Fanatics 55.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Squee fights back against Mussolini.

The Past Returns: the Rereturning Part Two

 

            Squee stares at Mr. and Mrs. Casil with wide eyes and his jaw hanging open. He feels sick. He can’t believe this is actually happening. He hasn’t seen them in years and suddenly here they are, standing right in front of him.

            They stare back at him. They seem confused. Do they not recognize him? Or did they just completely forget about him?

            Squee closes his mouth and swallows hard. He has to be careful. If he doesn’t handle this properly everything could be ruined. His life with Johnny and all his friends could end. He just needs to buy some time.

            He takes a deep breath and turns to face Mussolini. “I don’t know these people.”  
            “What?” Mussolini questions.

            “Yeah, like I have no idea who these two are,” Squee says, “I’ve never seen them before.”

            “Don’t lie,” he snaps, “they’re your parents. I know it!”   

            “I never knew my parents,” Squee grunts.

            Mussolini scoffs and looks at the Casil’s. “Mr. and Mrs. Casil. Isn’t it true that you had a son named Todd?”

            “Yes,” Mr. Casil nods, “but he had to put him in a mental asylum. Then after a year he disappeared.”

            “Doesn’t this boy look a lot like your child?”

            They cock their heads as they examine Squee.

            “I mean…maybe…” Mrs. Casil shrugs.

            “They both have brown eyes and black hair,” Mr. Casil nods.

            “Todd had brown eyes?” Mrs. Casil asks, “I could’ve sworn they were green.”  
            “How would he have had green eyes?” he asks, “both of our eyes are brown.”

            “I don’t know, I just remember them being green.”  
            “How would you know? You spent most of those years high.”  
            They argue amongst themselves, completely oblivious to the rest of the room. Squee rolls his eyes and glares at Mussolini.

            “This is a waste of my time,” Squee growls, “I have to get back to Skool.”

            “You’re not going anywhere,” Mussolini snaps, “all I have to do is match your DNA with that of Todd Casil. You won’t be able to deny science, will you?”

            One of Mussolini’s men plucks a hair from Squee’s head.

            “Ow, hey!” he snaps as the thug walks out of the room.

          “It will only take a few minutes,” Mussolini says, “then you’ll really be in trouble, Todd Casil.”  
            Squee’s heart beats even faster. He forces himself to breathe slowly. He has to stay calm. Panicking now won’t help anything. Just keep up this tough guy, apathetic charade.

            He sits in a chair and flips open his notebook.

            “What are you doing?” Mussolini asks.

            “Homework,” Squee replies plainly, “I was planning to do it during study hall but since it looks like I’m gonna miss it, I guess I’ll just do it here.”

            Mussolini glares at him then smiles at Mr. and Mrs. Casil. “Please, take a seat. This will only take a few minutes.”        

            They sit at the table hesitantly. They’re watching Squee curiously. He tries his best to ignore them as he writes in his notebook.

            He makes it look like he’s writing a lot but most of it is just gibberish; except for a quick note in the corner of the page. When no one is looking, he quickly rips it off and sticks it in his mouth. He swallows it and shudders as it slides down his throat.

            A few blocks away, the Night Terrors leap from building to building like monkeys across trees. Sickness looks back and sees Zim, Dib, and Pepito chasing after them. They’re a ways away but keeping up.

            “Those kids are relentless,” she comments.

            “What do you expect?” Reverend Meat shrugs, “they’re Squee’s friends.”  
            Mr. Fuck and Psycho Doughboy gasp when they feel something plop out of their hats. They take them off and each remove a ball of wet paper from off their heads.

            “Another note?” Reverend Meat asks.

            “Yeah,” Eff nods as they open it up.

            “What’s it say?” Sickness asks as they crowd around each other.

            “One of you, find Zim and tell him to erase all files relating to Todd Casil from the city records. Also get any physical files,” D-boy reads, “everyone else, find me at Mussolini Banks head office.”

            “Uh oh,” Reverend Meat comments.

            “Alright, I’ll get Zim,” Sickness says, “you guys find Squee.”

            They nod and split up: the boys keep racing across the rooftops while Sickness jumps to the ground.

            Meanwhile, Zim, Dib, and Pepito race down the snowy streets, their eyes glued to the rooftops. They’ve been running for minutes on end, trying to catch up to the Night Terrors. But they’re so fast and nimble and don’t slow down at all.

            “We’ll never catch them like this,” Dib pants, “can’t we hitch a ride on your spider legs or something?”

            “My PAK doesn’t work as well in the winter,” Zim replies, “the cold and moisture screw with the mechanics.”

            “That’s kind of a huge flaw, don’t you think?” Pepito asks.

            “It’s not fault!” Zim barks, “that’s just the way Irken technology is!”

            They all slide to a stop and shout with surprise when Sickness suddenly lands in front of them.

            “Which one of you is Zim?” she asks.

            “I am,” Zim states like it’s so obvious.

            “Squee needs your help,” she says, “can you hack into the city records and delete any files about Todd Casil?”

            “Todd Casil?” Pepito exclaims.

            “Of course,” he replies proudly, “but why? And who’s Todd Casil?”

            “We don’t have time,” Sickness snaps, “Squee could be in a lot of danger.”  
            “Okay,” Zim nods, “but we have to get to my lab.”

            “Wait,” Dib says, “Zim can delete all the electronic files, but what about any physical files?”

            “Leave that to me,” Sickness smirks before she hops to the top of a building and leaps away.

            The boys stare after her for a second before looking at each other.

            “We better hurry to my lab,” Zim says. Dib and Pepito nod and they race to Zim’s house.

            Meanwhile, back at Mussolini’s head office, Squee is having a hard time staying calm. All of this waiting is making his nerves worse. He’s trying not to show it, but he’s have a hard time not fidgeting.

            He’s doing his best to ignore his parents, but he can feel them watching him. They’re whispering to each other. He can’t quite catch what they’re saying but he hears ‘Todd’ a lot.

            Squee looks at the door and nibbles his finger nervously. He hopes his Night Terrors get here soon.

            At the same time, a few floors down, one of Mussolini’s goons marches down the hall to the elevator. He’s carrying two folders: one contains Squee’s DNA results, the other contains Todd’s.

            “Mr. Mussolini is gonna be really happy with these results,” he smiles.

            He stops and shivers when he’s hit with a blast of cold air. He looks over and sees a window he was passing has just opened. But how? Nobody else is around and they’re on like the fifteenth floor.

            He walks over to shut it when he gets a sudden chill down his spine, and not because of the cold.

            He turns around and sees nothing but a flash of purple before he’s pulled out the window. Even the security cameras don’t catch what just happened.

            Back with Squee, Mussolini is starting to get impatient. He incessantly taps his fingers on the table before getting to his feet.

            “Carson!” he barks.

            “Yes, sir?” Carson squeaks.

            “Go see what the holdup is!”

            “Yes, sir.” Carson scurries out of the room like a little mouse.

           “Mr. Mussolini,” Mr. Casil says as he stands up. “You said this would only take a few minutes. It’s been well over a half hour.”  
            “Patience please, Mr. Casil,” Mussolini replies, “I promise it will be worth it.”  
            Squee glares at him for a second before eyeing the window behind him. He needs to start formulating an escape plan should things go south. Would he be able to jump from this window to the building beside them?  
            Carson arrives a few minutes later. He looks worried.

            “Ah, um,” he stammers.

            “Spit it out, Carson,” Mussolini snaps.

          “The labs sent someone up with the necessary files,” Carson explains, “but he…disappeared.”  
            “Disappeared!?” he barks.

            Carson nods. “No one’s sure what happened. The security footage just shows him kind of falling through an open window…with uh…the necessary files.”

            Mussolini struggles to stay calm. “Well, run another DNA test on the boy and match it to the records we already of Todd.”

            “I thought of that, sir,” Carson says, “but um…all of Todd’s records have disappeared.”

            “What!” Mussolini shrieks.

            “A-all of our files and even the online records,” Carson clarifies, “they’re all gone.”

            Squee has a hard time not smiling excitedly. He takes a deep breath and hops to his feet.

            “I knew this was a waste of time,” he scoffs, “I don’t know what shoddy business you’re running here, Mussolini, but I’m not gonna humour it any longer.”

            “The boy is right,” Mr. Casil nods. “I have work to do. If you will excuse us, Mr. Mussolini.”  
            Mussolini snarls angrily but doesn’t say anything as the couple leaves. Squee watches them for a second before looking at Mussolini.

            “I’ll be leaving too,” he says as he turns.

            Two thugs suddenly block the doorway. Squee flinches and glares at Mussolini.

            “You’re not going anywhere,” Mussolini growls, “I don’t know how you did it but I know you’re behind this. And if you think I’m going to let you get away with it, you are sorely mistaken.”

            “Face it, Mussolini,” Squee snaps, “you got nothing on me. You can’t keep me here.”

            “I’ll do whatever I want!” he retorts, “you think you can fuck with the most powerful man in the city? I’ll make you regret even being born! You and Johnny! Just you wait.”

            Squee glares at him then notices something flash by the window outside. He blinks with realization.

            “Grab him,” Mussolini orders.

            His two thugs advance. Squee stays still and waits until the last second, just before they grab his shoulders. Then he races across the floor at top speed. He jumps onto the table and runs towards Mussolini.

            “What do you think you’re doing!” Mussolini barks as he starts to draw a gun.

            Squee ignores him as he grabs a nearby chair, spins, and whips it across the room. It sails over Mussolini’s head and crashes through the window.

            “Wha-?” Mussolini starts to turn around when Squee plants his hand on his head. He slams his face into the table as he leaps over him. He lands on the floor in a crouch then dives through the open window before anyone can fully comprehend what happened.

            Someone grabs his hand and pulls him up against the wall. He smiles as Eff wraps his arm around his waist. He’s hanging off the building like squirrel. D-boy and Reverend Meat are with him. All of three of them leap off the wall and onto the roof of the neighboring building.

            “This isn’t over, Squee C!” Mussolini shouts through the window as they hop away. “You won’t have a single moment of peace! I will have my revenge!”

            “Who shouts ‘I will have my revenge’ through a window?” Eff scoffs, “talk about a B-grade villain.”

            “Yeah,” Reverend Meat agrees, “and what’s with that hokey peace line?”

            “Eh,” Squee shrugs, “I don’t have much peace to begin with.”

            Sickness catches up with them a few blocks away. They stop on a random roof and Eff lets Squee go. Then D-boy reaches into his hat and pulls out Squee’s bag. He grabs it quickly and makes sure everything’s inside. He grabs Shmee and sighs with relief as he clutches his stuff to his chest and lies down on the roof.

            “God, that was so stressful!” he cries, “I thought my heart was going to explode. I can’t believe I actually made it out of there.”

            He looks at his Night Terrors with an exhausted but sincere smile. “Thanks, you guys.”  
            They blink with surprise then look away, smiling bashfully.

            “Ah, it was nothing,” Eff says.

            “Piece of cake,” D-boy adds.

            “No big deal,” Sickness says.

            “Anything for our little boss,” Reverend Meat concludes.

            Squee smiles and sits up.

            “So what now?” Reverend Meat asks.

            “Take me to Zim’s,” he replies as he dusts off the snow.

            Squee climbs onto Reverend Meat’s back and they leap away across the rooftops.

            Meanwhile, at Zim’s base, Zim and Dib are grilling Pepito in the kitchen.

            “Talk, Pepito,” Zim demands, “who is Todd Casil?”

            “I don’t know,” he replies quietly, looking at the floor.

            “We know you do,” Dib says, “we can tell by that dumb look on your face.”

            “I always have a dumb look on my face.”

            “Yeah, but this one is especially dumb,” Zim says.

            Pepito moans with exertion before exclaiming, “ah! I can’t tell you! It’s not my place! It’s Squee’s personal business and if he wants to keep it a secret, I have to respect that.”

            “Why would Squee keep secrets from us?” Zim pouts.

            “Well, I can’t speak for him,” Pepito says, “but if I had to guess, I’d say those memories are really painful. It’s not that he doesn’t want to tell you, it’s that he just wants to forget it all together.”

            Zim and Dib look at each other, concerned. They all flinch when the front door suddenly opens and spin around as Squee walks in, his Night Terrors in tow.

            “Squee!” they exclaim and rush up to him. They want to ask him tons of questions but before they can say anything, Squee throws his arms around Zim and hugs him tight.

            “Ziiiiiiiim!” he exclaims gleefully, “thank you thank you thank you thank you! You have no idea what you’ve done for me! I owe you my life! I swear I will follow you anywhere!”

            Zim is completely rigid, his arms stiff at his sides. “G-great, Squee,” he says, “then could you stop hugging me?”

            Squee quickly lets him go. “Oh, yeah. Sorry. I just got really excited.”

            “You can hug me like that anytime,” Pepito says.   

            Squee smiles and gives him a tight hug.

            “Squee, what’s going?” Dib asks, “are you okay?”  
            “I am now,” Squee replies as he lets Pepito go. “Thanks to you guys.”

            “Well, mostly thanks to me,” Zim says proudly while Dib and Pepito glare at him.

            “I know,” Squee nods, “I hope my request wasn’t too much trouble.”  
            “Ha!” he scoffs, “not even enough to make me sweat. Hacking into the city records is easy. I can do it in my sleep.”

            “So who is Todd Casil?” Dib asks.

            Squee’s face drops and he looks away nervously.

            “Uh, if you don’t wanna tell us, that’s fine,” Dib adds quickly.

            “No. It’s okay,” Squee says, “I-I can talk about it.”

            He takes a deep breath and looks at his friends. “Todd Casil was my name before I started living with Johnny. Pepito knew me; we went to elementary school together. Then my parents abandoned me in an insane asylum. I broke out after a year and then…a bunch of stuff happened. After that Johnny took me in so I changed my name to Squee C.”

            “Wow. So you had like an entirely different life when you were a kid,” Dib says.

            “Kind of,” Squee nods, “the way I see it, Todd Casil and I…we’re not even the same person anymore. I would’ve liked to forget about him all together. And now, thanks to Zim, he doesn’t even exist anymore. At least as far as the city is concerned.”

            “You’re welcome,” Zim beams proudly.

            Squee smiles gratefully.

            “So why’d you need Zim to erase Todd Casil’s records?” Pepito asks.

            “Mussolini tried to connect me to Todd Casil since he’s wanted,” Squee replies.

            “Mussolini? That same dick who had his goons beat the crap out of you?” he growls, “we should kick his ass.

            “No,” he says sternly, “he’s the most powerful man in the city. We can’t do anything to him. Besides, when it comes to getting revenge, he’s kind of useless.”  
            “Well, as long as you’re okay now,” Dib shrugs.

            Squee smiles and nods.

            “So what now?” Reverend Meat asks, “want us to take you back to Skool?”

            “Nah,” Squee replies, “there’s no point now. But um there is something I would like to check out.”

            “Sickness, let me see those files,” he says as he points to the folders sticking out of the neck of Sickness’ dress.

            “Oh, yeah,” she chimes as she takes them out. “Forgot I had those.”  
            Squee takes them and flips open the one labeled ‘Todd Casil’. He skims it quickly until he finds the bit about his parents. He rips out a small section and closes the folder back up.

            “Gir!” he calls. The robot jumps in from seemingly out of nowhere. “Want a treat?”

            “Yeah yeah yeah yeah,” Gir nods excitedly.

            Squee tosses the folders up. Gir catches them in his mouth and eats them like a shredder.

            “What’s that?” Pepito asks, nodding at the little scrap of paper in Squee’s hand.

            “Closure,” Squee replies.

            His friends cock their heads curiously.

            “Take me there,” Squee orders as he hands the paper to Reverend Meat. He and the other Night Terrors look at it then at each other.

            “Okay,” they shrug.

            “I’ll see you guys later, okay?” Squee waves goodbye to his friends as he climbs onto Reverend Meat’s back. They wave back as they watch the Night Terrors hop onto the rooftop and leap away.

            “You know,” Shmee says, “I couldn’t help but notice you blatantly left out the whole part about you fighting the Nightmare; the whole reason you ended up living with Nny in the first place.”

            “Yeah, well,” Squee mutters, “there are some things they don’t need to know.”

            They arrive at the address and stop on the roof across the street. It’s a small house in a quiet neighborhood in the South End. It doesn’t seem very interesting.

            Squee watches it for a second before tapping Reverend Meat. “Take me down.”

            He hops off the roof and lands in an alley way and Squee gets off his back.

            “Wait here,” he orders before racing across the road. He goes to the side of the house and peeks through some of the windows. He stops when he spots who he’s looking for and ducks down. He can hear them fairly well through the glass.

            “God, what a strange day,” Mrs. Casil comments.

            “What a waste of time,” Mr. Casil grunts.

            “Do you really think that boy was Todd?” she asks.

            “I don’t know. I guess they do look a lot alike,” he replies, “but so what if it was? Do you want him back?”

            “No,” she says without hesitation. “I don’t miss him at all.”

            “Me neither.”

            “So what do you want for dinner?” Mrs. Casil asks.

            “Whatever you wanna make,” Mr. Casil replies.

            Their voices drift off as they walk out of the room. Squee remains where he is, crouched in the snow.

            “You okay?” Shmee asks.

            “Yeah,” Squee replies, somewhat surprised. “They’re better off without me, and I’m better off without them.”  
            Shmee smiles proudly.

            Squee hurries back to his Night Terrors. They watch him curiously.

            “Take me home,” he orders.

            They smile and nod.

            A few minutes later, they drop him off outside his house before leaping away. Squee heads inside quickly. Johnny is just putting on his jacket as he goes in.

            “Hey, you’re home early,” he comments curiously, “I was just gonna come get you-.”

            He stops abruptly when Squee hugs him tight, burying his face into his belly.

            “Squee?” Nny questions, “you okay?”

            “Yeah,” he replies, “I’m just really, really happy to be here with you.”

            Johnny blinks with confusion but rests his hands on Squee’s head. “Well…that’s good I guess.”  
            Squee smiles and nuzzles Nny’s stomach. He has never felt more happy or more at peace than at that moment.


	97. Fanatics 56

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A murderer is tormenting young women...and it's not Nny.

Drey

 

            “Another body was found this morning, naked and mutilated in an alley on Darkened Street in the South End. She was a woman with black hair and brown eyes, estimated age about 24. Just like others, she was without any form of identification. If anyone may know the identity of this or the other girls, police ask that you please step forward.”

            Nana switches off the radio, catching the attention of all the waitresses in Café Latte. “Alright, girls. Huddle up.”

            The girls gather around their manager. Devi folds her arms impatiently, wanting to go home already.

            “Due to all the recent murders of young women, I don’t want any of you going home by yourselves,” Nana explains, “Payton, Piper, I know you two drive so that’s fine. But everyone else who walk or take the bus, I would rather you leave work with someone. I can drive you home if needed.”      

            “My girlfriend always picks me up anyway,” Jade says.

            “Yeah, I can call my boyfriend,” Samantha says, “he’ll get me.”

            “I’ll call my mom,” Tamika says.

            “Good,” Nana nods approvingly, “Devi, what about you? I know you have to take the bus.”

            “Yeah. Um, I’m not sure,” she muses.

            “I can drive you,” she suggests.

            “But your place is really out of the way from my place,” Devi points out, “I don’t want to inconvenience you like that.”

            “You should call Johnny,” Jade suggests.

            “What?” Devi snorts.

            “Yeah, Johnny will drive you home,” Samantha nods.

            “What makes you think that?” she scoffs.

            “I know you two fight a lot,” she says, “but he can be really nice sometimes.”

            “He’s very polite,” Piper adds.

            “And he tips really well,” Tamika nods.

            “Alright, alright,” Devi snaps as she grabs her cellphone. “I’m calling him. Just stop singing his praises.”

            She dials Johnny’s phone number and sighs with annoyance as she waits for him to answer.

            “Hello?” he grumbles.

            “Johnny, listen I need a favour,” she says, “I need you to pick me up from work.”

            “Huh?” he grunts with obvious annoyance. “Why?”

            “Nana doesn’t want us leaving work alone with all the murders recently,” she replies, “can you do it or not?”  
            He doesn’t even try to mask his sigh of irritation which really pisses Devi off. “Fine.”

            “Great. I’ll be waiting,” she snaps before hanging up. She glares at her coworkers. “Happy now?”

            They all smile and giggle cheerfully with just a hint of malice.

            After the café closes, everyone changes into their street clothes and leaves one by one. Devi is the third to leave, just before Nana and Payton, when Johnny’s car pulls up by the curb.

            “Hey,” she grunts as she climbs into the passenger seat.

            “Hey,” he grumbles.

           “Thanks for this,” she mutters, “I’m probably gonna need rides home every night for a while. I know it’s kind of a pain.”

            “Eh,” he shrugs, “so why won’t your boss let you leave?”  
            “Because of all the recent murders of young women,” she replies, “it’s been all over the news for weeks.”

            “Oh, yeah,” he nods with realization then glances at her suspiciously. “It’s not me.”

            “I didn’t say it was.”

            “You were thinking it.”  
            Devi glares out the window with disgust. “All those girls were found raped. You may be a dick, but I know even you wouldn’t rape someone.”  
          “They call him…what was it? Drey?” Johnny questions, “how do they know that’s his name?”

            “He writes it in blood at the scene of the murder,” Devi replies.

            Johnny scoffs. “That just proves he’s in it for the publicity. He wants people talking about him.”

            She snorts. “I’m not gonna psychoanalyze this douche. He’ll get caught eventually and it won’t be long before everyone forgets about him.”

            They arrive at Devi’s apartment building. She looks back into the car as she gets out.

            “So you’ll pick me up tomorrow too right?” she asks.

            “Yeah, yeah,” Johnny nods, “I’ll be there.”

            She nods appreciatively before closing the door and walking up to her building. Johnny watches her until she’s inside before driving away.

            The next day Devi takes the bus to work like usual. She really wishes she could afford a car.

            Work starts out slow and quiet. Not many customers come since most of their regulars are at school or working. But sometime around eleven, a young man with thin brown hair that hangs over his face comes in. Samantha greets him cheerfully. He eyes her up and down before grinning and sitting at a small table. The other waitresses watch him from inside the kitchen.

            “Devi, your turn,” Tamika says.

            “Ugh, I don’t wanna help that creep,” Devi growls, “look at the way he’s leering at Samantha.”

            “He’s still a customer,” Nana scolds, “so treat him like one.”

            She scoffs with disgust as she tightens her pigtails. “I hate the service industry.”  
            She puts on her biggest smile and approaches him. “Morning, sir,” she chirps in her nicest voice as she hands him a menu. “Can I start you off with a drink?”  
            “Coffee,” he replies with a grainy voice. “Lots of sugar.”

            “Sure,” Devi nods as she writes it on her notepad. “I’ll be back.”

            She can feel the creep eyeing her as she walks away. It makes her skin crawl.

            She returns after a few minutes with a cup of coffee and lots of sugar packets. She rests them on the customer’s table and smiles at him. “Have you decided what you would like to eat?”

            He rubs his chin as he reads the menu. “I was thinking maybe…” He looks at her and grins. “You?”

            Devi feels like she might throw up or punch him in the face. But she resists the urge and maintains her smile. “I’m not on the menu.”

            “You could be,” he purrs, “what are you doing tonight?”

            Her fingers twitch as she fights the urge to wrap them around his throat. “Definitely not you.”  
            His smile drops record quick. “What? You think you’re better than me?”

            “Of course not,” she replies cheerfully, “I just have standards.”

            He glares at her with blatant anger. She meets his glare, still smiling. He stands up and leaves in a huff. Devi drops her smile and looks at the table with disgust. “He didn’t pay for his coffee.”

            “Ew, that guy was so gross,” Samantha squeals, “I can’t believe you were able to handle your cool so well, Devi.”

            “It wasn’t easy,” Devi grumbles as she walks back to the kitchen. “Sorry, Nana.”

            “No need for apologies,” Nana says, “that guy was a creep.”  
            The girls laugh agreeably. They soon forgot about the creep and continue their work day. It’s not like that was the first pervert they’ve dealt with. It’s just another normal day.

            At the end of the day, they lock up the café and leave one at a time until only Nana and Devi are left.

            “You have a ride tonight, right?” Nana asks.

            “Yeah, Johnny said he’ll come,” Devi replies.

            “Okay then I’ll see you tomorrow,” she says as she leaves out the backdoor. Devi waves at her and looks around. With all the lights turned off it’s really dark, the streetlamps outside the only illumination she has. She watches the front street through the opening in the wall between the kitchen and dining area, waiting quietly for Johnny. The idiot probably forgot. If he doesn’t show up in a few minutes, she’ll call him and chew him out.

            It’s only a couple minutes later when she hears the back door open. Devi thinks its Nana and turns to meet her.

            “What, did you forget something…” she trails off when she sees it’s not Nana. In the darkness she can’t quite see who it is, but it’s definitely not any of the girls.

            “Who the hell are you?” she snarls.

            “Did you forget me already?” he says in a familiar, grainy voice. “You really are full of yourself.”

            Devi blinks with surprise. “Are you…that creep from this morning? How’d you get in here?”

            “It’s easy to pick locks,” he shrugs, “although I was waiting for you to leave but when you didn’t, I thought I’d meet you in here. Aren’t I a gentleman?”

            Devi growls and starts to grab her cellphone from her pocket. But she stops when he steps into the light and she notices he’s holding a large steak knife. The blade and handle are stained.

            He twists the blade around, smiling. “If you apologize, I might be nice with you.”

            Devi snarls and stays still. She waits until he’s a bit closer before striking. She grabs the hand holding the knife and swings her elbow towards his face. He’s not even surprised. He catches her arm and shoves her back into the wall. She’s winded from the impact and before she can recover, he’s on top of her, squeezing her neck and holding his knife inches from her face.

            “Nice try,” he smirks, “you think you’re the first girl to fight back? You all like to think you stand a chance but you don’t. Because you’re weak.”

            First girl? Devi looks at him with confusion before the realization hits her. “You…are you Drey?”

            “You know me?” he purrs, “good. I love when they know me.”

            “Yeah, I know you,” she spits, “you’re the fucking pervert who’s been killing and raping girls! Did you come in here this morning to find your next victim?”

            “It’s not like I go around looking for girls to kill,” he snaps, “if you all weren’t such arrogant bitches, then I wouldn’t have to kill you!”

            “That’s why you do it?” she scoffs, “because we reject you? You petty, whiny fuck! If you weren’t such a disgusting creep, then you wouldn’t have to rape girls!”

            “Shut up!” he barks and squeezes her neck tighter. “I’m not the problem. Besides, you think I wanna give this up? Everyone is talking about me. People are scared to go outside at night. I’m famous.”

            “You’re…nothing…special,” Devi croaks as she struggles to breathe. “You’re just…a lonely baby wanting some attention. There are thousands of people like you. You’ll be caught or die someday. And then people will…forget all about you.”

            “Never!” he shouts, “people will never forget about me. Even when I do die, I’ll still be remembered. Because I’m gonna break a record. People will fear me for years. I’ll be immortal.”

            “And you’re gonna help me,” he smirks and pulls his knife back. Devi squeezes her eyes and braces herself for pain. Then she hears the back door slam. Drey and Devi look back as Johnny walks in. Devi smiles with relief.

            “Who the hell-?” Drey starts to ask but before he can finish, Johnny is beside him. He grabs the arm holding Devi and bends it backwards, snapping the bone.

             Drey screams in pain as he collapses to his knees, holding his broken arm. Devi falls to the floor too, coughing and gasping as she rubs her neck.

            “How did you…know?” she asks.

            “I heard him yelling,” Johnny replies as he kneels beside her. He gently moves her hand out of the way to get a look at her neck. There’s a dark purple bruise along the front of her neck.

            Johnny snarls furiously and looks at Drey. He’s writhing on the floor, clutching his busted arm. Johnny grabs the knife and approaches him.

            “Johnny, wait,” Devi demands as she grabs his arm and pulls him back. “Let the police handle it.”

            “What?” he snaps, “but-.”

            “You’ve already paid him back for hurting me,” she says, “if he’s arrested, the public will know and they won’t be scared of him anymore. If you take him, nobody will know what happened. He deserves to be forgotten as soon as possible.”

            Johnny looks at her with surprise then glares at Drey. He’s looking at him with fear.

            Johnny scoffs and drops the knife. “Fine. But I’m not sticking around to be questioned.”

            Devi nods and grabs her cellphone. Johnny walks towards the front as she dials. Before she finishes, he stops and rubs the back of his head.

            “I’m…sorry I was late,” he mutters, his back still turned to her.

            She looks at him with surprise then shrugs. “Don’t worry about it. At least you still showed up.”

            Johnny goes up front. Devi watches Drey closely as she calls the cops. He’s whimpering like a whipped dog. She scoffs with disgust.

            A few minutes later, she joins Johnny up front. He looks at her expectantly.

            “The cops are on their way,” she says, “I don’t think they believe me so they’re gonna be surprised.”

            “He’s not gonna try to escape?” Johnny asks.

            “He’s not going anywhere,” Devi replies, “he’s pretty hurt, the big baby.”

            He looks away awkwardly. “How’s your neck?”

            “It’s not bad,” she replies as she rubs her bruise.

            He angrily grips his shirt. “You should let me kill him. He deserves the most painful death for hurting you.”

            Devi blinks with surprise then smiles. “Yeah, well…at least this way we’re, you know, the better citizens.”

            “Overrated,” he scoffs.

            Johnny leaves before the cops arrive. They are incredibly surprised when they see a man with a broken arm crying in the kitchen of Café Latte. Devi insists that he’s the serial killer. Drey doesn’t answer any of their questions but they still arrest him. When they ask her who broke his arm, she lies and says she did. They accept it.

            When it’s all over, one of the officer’s offers to drive Devi home but she refuses. Says she’s okay and would rather be alone. They drive off, leaving her at the restaurant, before she starts to walk down the street.

            She spots Johnny’s car a few blocks away. He’s leaning against it, staring at the sky. He looks over when he sees her coming. She smirks slyly at him. He just rolls his eyes and gets in the driver’s side. She snickers and climbs into the passenger side.

            She rests her head against the window, exhaustion finally hitting her, and closes her eyes. She rubs her tender neck. What a long day. She still can’t believe she was attacked by that douchebag.

            Good thing Nny showed up.

            She cracks her eyes open and looks over at Johnny. He’s got his usual scowl as he drives down the road. She smiles warmly. He catches her staring and she quickly looks away.

            “What?” he scoffs.

            “Nothing,” she snaps and closes her eyes again. She can’t just let this dick think she’s lucky to have him or something.  



	98. Fanatics 57

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Night Terrors and their friends try to get some cash.

The Heist

 

            Mr. Fuck, Psycho Doughboy, Sickness, and Reverend Meat crowd around the space heater with their friends and roommates, Serena and Aron. They’re buried under all of their blankets but they’re still freezing. Since their van has no insulation, they might as well be standing outside in the snow, naked.

            “I’m hungry,” Reverend Meat mutters.

            “We have no food or money,” Aron says, “I haven’t been able to get any jobs.”

            “Who wants to work in this weather anyway?” Serena grumbles.

            “We kind of have to,” Sickness says, “we need money. If we don’t get any food we’ll starve to death.”

            “We need some better winter clothes too,” Eff adds, “or we’ll freeze to death.”

            “Aron’s the only one of us who could handle a job though,” D-boy points out, “even Serena would probably rip somebody’s throat out if they looked at her wrong.”

            “So what are we gonna do?” Sickness asks.

            Eff groans as he rests his head against the wall and looks out the window. The glass is so frosted he can hardly see through it not that there’s much to see. Just lots of snow on an empty road.

            A van suddenly drives by. Eff blinks as he watches it. It doesn’t look all that interesting except for the name written across the side: Mussolini Banks.

            “Hey, you guys,” Eff says, “I just got a great idea.”

            Everyone looks at him curiously as he smiles excitedly.

            “What if we perform a heist?” he suggests.

            “A heist?” Reverend Meat scoffs, “we’re not master criminals.”

            “We could be,” Eff argues, “we have powers and skills humans can only dream of. Why don’t we use them to our benefit?”

            “Because doing so would make us criminals,” he points out.

            “So what?” he scoffs, “we’re hardly upstanding citizens to begin with.”

            “What sort of heist are you thinking?” Sickness asks.

            “We rob Mussolini Banks,” Eff replies.

            “Are you crazy?” Aron exclaims.

            “I mean probably.”

            “Mussolini is the richest man in the city,” he points out, “his banks have more security than the Pentagon. How would you even go about robbing one?”

            “That’s what reconnaissance is for,” Eff says.

            “We shouldn’t even be discussing this,” Reverend Meat snaps, “it’s illegal and dangerous and out of the question.”

            “I think it’s a good idea,” D-boy says.

            “Huh?” everyone exclaims with surprise.

            “You’re actually agreeing with Eff?” Sickness asks with disbelief.

            “Hear that? D-boy says it’s a good idea,” Eff says.

            “D-boy is the master of bad decisions,” Reverend Meat scoffs.

            “Rude,” D-boy comments.

            “Come on, Meat,” Eff begs, “we need money. If you can think of a better idea then be my guest.”

            Reverend Meat sighs and rubs his neck. “Well…we really do need money. And we should pay back Mussolini for messing with our Little Boss.”

            Eff, D-boy, and Sickness smirk maliciously.

            “I’m in,” Serena says excitedly.

            “Are you sure?” Reverend Meat asks.

            “Absolutely,” she nods, “it sounds like a good time.”

            “Okay, if you get caught, I don’t know any of you,” Aron grunts.

            They chuckle with amusement.

            “Okay, so where do we begin?” Serena asks.

            “Reconnaissance,” Eff replies, “and you could actually be useful for this.”

            “Right, let’s get to work,” Reverend Meat states. They all stand up and head out, leaving Aron by the heater.

            The cold winter air hits them hard but they ignore it as they go to a nearby building and leap up to the roof.

            “Alright, anyone know where the closest Mussolini Bank is?” Reverend Meat asks.

            “I do,” Serena sings, “this way.”

            They hop across rooftops like squirrels, even with the ice and frost. The exercise quickly warms them up and they arrive at their destination in no time.

            They stop on a building across the street from a Mussolini Bank. The building is extravagant with a domed roof and arched windows. There are lots of expensive looking cars parked outside and two guards standing outside the front doors.

            “Think they’re packing?” Eff asks.

            “I don’t see any guns,” Sickness replies, “but they probably have Tasers.”

            “Psh, Tasers,” D-boy scoffs, “might as well hit me with static electricity.”

            “So what’s the plan?” Reverend Meat asks. 

            “We have Serena go in and do some scouting, figure out where all the cameras are and if there are any other guards,” Eff explains, “after that we’ll figure out how to break in.”  
            “Alright. I’m on it,” Serena smirks. She dusts herself off, straightens up her hair, and hops to the ground. The Night Terrors watch, on edge, as she marches up to the bank. For a second they worry that the guards are going to stop her, but they don’t even glance at her.

            “She knows how to fit in,” D-boy comments.

            “This used to be her world,” Sickness points out.

            They wait patiently for a few minutes, shivering in the snow. The longer they wait, the more worried they get. What if she got caught? What would they do then?

            But fortunately she exits the bank about fifteen minutes later. She struts confidently across the street and disappears into an alley. The Night Terrors scurry across the building and meet her towards the back.

            “Alright, I know where all the cameras are located,” she explains, “and there’s a few guards inside too. There’s probably other security things too that get set up at night.”

            “Where’s the vault located?” Reverend Meat asks.

            “It’s in like the north part of the building upstairs,” Serena replies uncertainly, “like…here.”

            She draws a rectangle in the snow and thinner rectangle against the right side. “Okay, upstairs there’s a balcony. The vault is up there. I didn’t see the stairs so they’re probably in a part of the building that is blocked off to the public.”

            “No problem,” Eff scoffs, “stairs are for chumps anyway.”

            “You got a plan then?” Reverend Meat asks.

            He smirks, “oh, yeah.”  
            He tells them the basics of the plan. They spend the next couple hours refining it while sitting on the freezing cold rooftop. When the sun sets, they get to work.

            The bank is closed and all of the lights are turned off. A single night guard patrols the parking lot with a flashlight. The Night Terrors and the vampire drop to the ground and run across to one of the bank’s neighboring buildings. They climb up to the roof and leap over onto the bank. 

            The domed roof is made entirely of glass. They can see clearly into the bank through it. It’s completely dark except for beams of light from the flashlights carried by other night guards. There’s five of them: one on the balcony and four on the main floor.

            “That balcony,” Serena whispers, “that’s where the vault is.”

            “It probably has all kinds of alarms,” Sickness points out.

            “Right. First we have to cut the power,” Reverend Meat says.

            “On it,” D-boy nods. He slides down the roof and hops over to a power pole. He perches on the top like a vulture as he pulls out a long machete from his hat. He slices through the power lines closest to the bank. A horrible shock travels all through his body while all of the lights of the street blink out. Once the shocking has stopped, he giggles, a puff of smoke escaping his mouth.

            “That was awesome,” he drawls before jumping back to the others.

            “I mean…I didn’t mean ‘cut the power’ like literally,” Reverend meat says, “but that works.”

            They look back into the bank. The only guard who seems confused is the one outside by the front door. He’s the only who noticed the lights are out. All of the others inside are oblivious.

            “Looks like he’s grabbing a phone,” Eff says as they watch him.

            “We better stop him,” Reverend Meat points out.

            “Dibs,” Serena chirps before sliding down to the front of the building. The guard is pulling a cellphone from his pocket. Before he has a chance to dial, she pounces on him like a cat, making him fall flat on his face. Then she picks up like he weighs nothing and tosses him to the side of a building. Before he has a chance to scream, she jumps onto his back and bites his neck. Within seconds, he’s drained of his blood.

            Serena licks her lips as she picks up his body and tosses him into a nearby dumpster. Then she hops back onto the building.

            “Nice,” Eff grins.

            “Thanks,” she chimes as she licks her fangs.

            They look back into the building. Two of the guards are talking to each other and pointing outside.

            “Uh oh,” Sickness mutters, “looks like they’re noticing how dark it is.”

            “We have to take them all out quickly before they call someone,” Reverend Meat says.

            “Right,” Eff nods. He reaches into his hat a couple times and pulls out two throwing knives. “D-boy, you take the two on the left, I’ll take the two on the right. Sickness, you get the one on the balcony.”

            “Right,” she nods while D-boy grabs two throwing knives from his own hat.

            “Reverend Meat,” Eff grunts, “break the glass.”

            Reverend Meat pulls back his large fist and smashes a hole in the glass. Before any of the guards can react, the Doughboys dive through head first. In midair, they whip their knives across the room, successfully hitting their respective targets in the head.

            Meanwhile, Sickness grabs the edge of the hole and swings in towards the balcony. The guard stumbles out of the way as she lands on the banister. He starts to grab something from his belt but before he can, Sickness jumps at him with inhuman speed. She knocks him to the floor and snaps his neck like a twig before he even has a chance to breathe.

            “Woo,” Sickness sighs as she stands up, wiping her forehead. The others meet her on the balcony and they look at the vault.

            It looks like a generic vault door: large, round, and metal. But instead of any sort of handle, there’s some sort of pad embedded in the wall beside it.

            “Looks like some sort of scanner,” Serena says as she examines it. “For fingerprints or a retinal scan maybe.”

            “Think one of these guards could open it?” Eff asks.

            “I doubt it,” Reverend Meat replies, “it probably only opens for a higher-up, like the manager or something.”

            “Can you break it?” D-boy asks.

            “It might take a couple punches,” he responds as he cracks his knuckles. “But I should be able to smash it.”  
            “Stand back,” he orders as he pulls back his fist. He punches the door hard and just dents the metal. He punches it again, cracking it. He punches it a third time and successfully smashes through it.

            “Nice,” Serena cheers.

            They peer through the hole at mounds of cash sitting on rows of shelves.

            “Wow,” they sigh with awe.

            “We’ll be set for life with this,” Eff squeals.

            “We’ll be able to get a house,” D-boy adds.

            “And food!” Reverend Meat cheers.

            “And clothes,” Sickness sighs dreamily.

            “Well, what are we waiting for?” Serena asks.

            “Yeah!” Eff chimes and hops through the hole. The second his feet touch the floor, the whole room starts flashing red and an alarm starts blaring.

            “What?” he exclaims.

            “But we cut the power!” D-boy shouts over the alarm.

            “There must be some sort of backup system,” Reverend Meat points out.

            The building shakes for a second as a loud bang is heard from somewhere downstairs.

            “What the hell was that?” Sickness asks.

           They look off the balcony as something smashes through the wall behind the teller’s counter. They watch, wide-eyed as a large robot with hocked legs, glowing red eyes, and guns for arms marches out into the middle of the room.

            “What…the hell…is that…?” Serena asks.

            The robot looks at them, its red eyes scanning each of them. Then it lifts its guns.

            “Eff, we gotta go!” Reverend Meat shouts.

            “I’m not leaving empty handed!” Eff snaps. He scoops up some cash with his hat and puts it back on before leaping out of the vault.

            The robot starts firing. They scream as they duck under the bullets and race down the balcony, diving into the stairwell.

            “What do we do?” Serena shouts over the gunfire.

            “We’re getting out of here,” Reverend Meat replies before smashing a hole into the wall leading outside. They immediately jump through and land on the ground.

            They start to run away when a loud smash from the bank catches their attention. They look back as the robot walks through the smashed front door. It looks at them with its glowing red eyes and marches after them.

            “It’s chasing us!” Serena shrieks.

            “We have to destroy it!” Eff shouts.

            “How?” Sickness asks.

            Before any of them can answer, the robot starts shooting again. They scream and jump in different directions to escape the gunfire.

            The robot continues marching down the road as it fires a seemingly endless stream of bullets, taking out fences, walls from nearby buildings, and power poles. The Night Terrors and Serena barely manage to avoid getting hit thanks to their quick reflexes.

            D-boy ducks behind a bullet-riddled dumpster as the robot marches by. It hasn’t noticed him yet. He watches it for a second before noticing one of the knocked over power poles. The ends of its powerlines are shocking, sending electrical sparks off in all directions. They’re the ones he cut earlier!

           He smirks as a lightbulb goes off in his head. He races over to it, grabs one of the powerlines, and whips it at the robot. The sparking end hits its metal back, electrocuting it immediately. It freezes as sparks fly off, steam rises through its joints, and bolts and screws pop out.

            D-boy leaps away. The other Night Terrors and Serena watch what’s happening for a second before racing away. They all duck behind a nearby building just as the robot explodes.

            They peek onto the road. All that’s left of the robot is a small crater in the road surrounded by miscellaneous metal bits.

            Before any of them can breathe a sigh of relief, sirens are heard nearby.

            “Uh oh,” Serena squeaks.

            “We’re out of here,” Reverend Meat grunts.

            They jump to the rooftop and leap away before the police can get there.

            The make it back home by midnight. They stumble into the van before collapsing on the beds, groaning exhaustedly.

            Aron was sleeping on one of the beds. He perks up, wide awake. “Well? How’d it go?”

            Eff smirks as he takes off his hat and dumps out a dozen wads of cash.

            “Wow! You actually did it!” Aron exclaims with surprise.

            “It’s not as much as we were hoping,” D-boy points out.

            “There were security protocols we weren’t expecting,” Sickness adds.

            “Are you kidding? This is great!” Aron says excitedly as he examines the cash. “I’ve never seen so much money. There’s gotta be almost a thousand dollars.”

            “Well, I suppose that’ll do,” Serena shrugs.

            “Good, because we are never doing that again,” Reverend Meat snaps.

            “Still,” Eff sighs as he lies down, folding his arms behind his head. “It’s pretty cool. We almost got away with millions.”

            “And we did it scot-free,” D-boy adds.

            “Yup,” Sickness nods, “we took care of that robot, there was no camera footage. Nobody will ever know it was us.”

            “Not bad for our first time,” Serena smirks.

            The laugh victoriously, like a bunch of dramatic, evil villains.

            The next day, at Mussolini Banks Head Office, Celio Mussolini impatiently taps his fingers on his desktop. There are two suited men standing beside him. He’s watching the news on a large, flat screen TV hanging on the wall. It’s talking about the robbery at one of his banks. The reporter is talking about how the police have no idea what happened: there is no camera footage or fingerprints.

            Mussolini shuts off the TV and growls angrily.

            “Forgive me, sir,” one of his subordinates says, “but is it really a big deal? They only took about 800 dollars.”

            “800 dollars too much!” Mussolini barks, “besides, they smashed a hole through the glass ceiling and the vault door. The ceiling is bullet proof glass and the vault is made out of the strongest metal on the planet. How could they have smashed through it? And as if that wasn’t bad enough, they killed all of my guards and the robot! So yes, it is a big deal!”

            The men tremble nervously as Mussolini continues tapping his fingers on the desktop. He stops when there’s a sudden knock on the door.

            “Sir?” Carson questions as he peeks inside.

            “What did you find out?” Mussolini asks impatiently.

            Carson closes the door behind him and rests something on the desk. “Our men managed to scavenge it from the robot’s parts. Thankfully it wasn’t destroyed when it exploded.”

            It’s a memory chip. Mussolini plugs it into his computer. A picture pops up of five people standing on the balcony in front of the vault.

            “Who are they are?” Mussolini asks.

            “Well uh I’m not sure who four of them are,” Carson says, “when we ran facial recognition, nothing on them popped up. But we found lots of information on this one.” He points to a woman with shoulder-length black hair. “She’s Serena Von.”

            “Von? As in Charles Von?” he questions.

            “Yes, sir. She’s his eldest daughter.”

            “I see,” Mussolini muses, “get him on the phone. I’m sure he’ll want to know his daughter is out robbing banks. And see if you can get him to tell you where she is now.”

            “Yes, sir,” Carson nods before scurrying away.

            Mussolini turns in his chair to gaze out the large window behind him. It looks out onto the street. He can see loads of people down below, marching up and down the road, going about their dull day-to-day lives.

            “Whoever these crooks are,” he says, “they must be very good to have connections to someone like a Von. They must be cunning and powerful. But I will find them. I will find them and make them suffer in every conceivable way. Because nobody fucks with Celio Mussolini and gets away with it.”

            “Uh, sir, but what about the C’s?” the first subordinate asks.

            Mussolini suddenly whips out a handgun and blows a hole in his head. His partner winces as the body falls the floor but says nothing.

            Mussolini snarls, “nobody.”


	99. Fanatics 58

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dib and Squee's class goes on a field trip.

The Museum

 

            The announcements are said over the intercom and Miss Sweeties does attendance. All of the students respond apathetically.

            “Okay, everyone in Class A, head to the front yard,” she orders, “Mr. Garland is waiting for you to accompany you on your field trip. Class B, I’ll see you in class.”

            The students leave the classroom. Zim, Dib, Pepito, and Squee walk together.

            “Man, you guys are so lucky,” Pepito sighs, “you know what our class does for fun? Activity sheets.”

            “We’re just going to a museum,” Squee points out, “I’m not sure how much fun it’ll be.”

            “I see no point in museums,” Zim grunts.

            “What, do Irkens not preserve their history?” Dib asks.

            “No, we do. In fact, we have three planets for just that reason,” he replies, “I just see no point in it. If it’s not about Zim, then Zim doesn’t care.”

            Dib, Pepito, and Squee smile wearily and roll their eyes.

            “Okay, we’ll see you guys later,” Dib waves as he and Squee split off. They head downstairs to the front yard. The rest of their classmates are waiting outside along with their math teacher, Mr. Garland.

            “Is everyone here?” the teacher asks, “the bus should be arriving in a few minutes.”

            “Why is Mr. Garland escorting us and not Ms. Bitters?” Squee asks Dib quietly.

            “I don’t think Ms. Bitters is physically able to leave the Skool,” he replies.

            The bus arrives quickly and the students file in. Squee and Dib start to sit with Maddie in one of the middle seats, but Squee stops when he spots Kat sitting on the back seat all by herself. He nudges Dib and points at her. He glares at him in an ‘are you serious?’ way. Squee nods insistently. Dib groans and the three of them sit next to Kat without a word. She glances at them questionably before looking out the window.

            The bus ride is uneventful and filled with the chatter of students. The backseat is awkwardly quiet though. Dib glares at Kat over Squee’s head while she just stares out the window with a bored expression. Squee and Maddie keep to themselves on their phones.

            They arrive at the museum after about ten minutes. Everyone files out and waits on the front yard.

            “Why do you make us interact with her?” Dib asks Squee with annoyance, motioning to Kat as she walks away.

            “What’s so wrong with that?” he shrugs.

            “She’s an evil alien who tried to kill us, remember?” he points out.

            “Yeah, but I don’t think she’s a bad person. Not really,” he argues, “besides, Pepito and Gaz like her.”  
            “I like her too,” Maddie says quietly.

            Dib just scoffs.

            “Alright, everyone pay attention!” Mr. Garland calls, cutting out the chatter. He motions to a suited man beside him. “This is Mr. Lawrence. He’ll be our guide today. Everyone pay attention to what he says and don’t be afraid to take notes. You will be quizzed on what we learn today.”

            A disappointed groan passes over the group of students as Mr. Lawrence steps forward.

            “Okay, welcome to the City History Museum,” he announces, “here we have many exhibits from all over time such as dinosaurs and many different wars. But today is gonna be particularly exciting because we are presenting our brand new Egypt exhibit, featuring a real mummy dug up in an Egyptian tomb.”  
            “Oh,” Dib chirps, interested.

            “Now follow me inside and we’ll begin the tour,” Mr. Lawrence says and leads the many teens in through the front doors. He stops at the front desk. “Please leave your bags and jackets with the receptionist.”

            The students go down a line, handing the receptionist their sweaters and bags. Squee gives her his sweater and starts to walk away, but Mr. Lawrence stops him.

            “Sorry, son, you gotta give her your bag,” he says, “we’ve had incidences of people smuggling museum property in their bags so we don’t want to risk it anymore.”

            Squee glowers with annoyance as he pulls Shmee out of his bag and hands it to the receptionist. He stares after it like he’s leaving behind a beloved family member as he walks away.

            “What a baby,” one of his classmates, Henry, scoffs, “why do you gotta carry that bear around all the time, Squee?”

            “He protects me from evil things,” Squee replies seriously. Henry and a lot of the other kids laugh and call him crazy.

            “Don’t listen to them, Squee,” Dib growls.

            “I won’t,” Squee grunts, “I just hope nobody digs through my bag. A lot of the stuff I have in there isn’t exactly legal.”

            “Okay, everyone follow me!” Mr. Lawrence orders. The students follow him in a large cluster deeper into the museum. The first room they enter is filled with dinosaur skeletons and fossils. Mr. Lawrence stops at each one, explaining what it is, what era it resided from, and where the bones were found. Some students chime in with questions or information they have on the subject. Dib and Squee don’t pay much attention but Kat is quite interested.

            “How could creatures as massive and powerful as these go extinct?” she asks as she examines a skeleton of a tyrannosaurus rex.

            “There are many theories but the most popular speculation is that they were wiped out by a large meteor,” Mr. Lawrence replies.

            “It seems unlikely that one meteor could wipe out an entire species,” Kat comments.

            “Well, many of today’s creatures are believed to have evolved from dinosaurs,” he explains, “in fact, there are many theories that suggest birds evolved from dinosaurs.”

            “Really,” she scoffs, “those noisy, timid varmints evolved from incredible beasts? It’s a wonder this planet isn’t completely lifeless with how horrible its inhabitants’ evolutionary chain is.”

            Mr. Lawrence chuckles awkwardly before clearing his throat. “Uh let’s move on, shall we?”

            They leave and enter the second room which is filled with old, rusty guns all displayed in glass cabinets. Some of the most recognizable ones are bayonets and large machine guns.

            “Ugh,” Squee groans with obvious disgust. “I hate guns.”

            Mr. Lawrence starts talking about several of the weapons: what time period they were in, what war they were used for. Dib and Squee pay even less attention than before.

            “Such archaic pieces of equipment,” Kat scoffs.

            “Well, they were made many decades ago,” Mr. Lawrence points out, “but let’s move on, shall we? To the main attraction.”

            They enter the third room and it’s almost like entering a new world, or a new continent to be specific. The walls have been made up to look like sand blocks, like walls of a pyramid. Sitting along them are tables holding all kinds of Egyptian artifacts like vases or small statues. There are also large statues of bird gods or cats. And at the far end stands a sarcophagus next to a large, golden gong and a large stone tablet with hieroglyphic inscriptions.

            “Ah, now here’s the good stuff,” Dib purrs excitedly.

            “Behold, our brand new Egyptian exhibit,” Mr. Lawrence says dramatically, clearly excited. “Archeologists spent years exploring an ancient Egyptian tomb in order to recover all of these artifacts.”

            “It was all found in the same tomb?” Dib asks.

            “Yes,” he nods, “we believe they were offerings for him.” He points at the sarcophagus and approaches the tablet.

            “This sarcophagus was unearthed from its resting place?” Dib questions then whispers excitedly to Squee, “I smell a mummy curse.”

            “This sarcophagus holds a real mummy,” Mr. Lawrence explains, “researchers believe he was named Apep, after the Egyptian god for chaos. It is still unknown what he did in life, but whatever it was it must’ve been very bad because his sarcophagus was sealed with a curse.”

            “The inscription on this tablet reads ‘any who strike the gong shall unleash an unspeakable evil and suffer for all eternity.”

            “Well, actually it reads ‘Apep, warrior of destruction, shall only be released if the striker of the gong is one of strength and power’,” Kat states matter-of-factly.

            Mr. Lawrence stares at her with bewilderment then quickly clears his throat. “Yes, well, you get the idea.”

            “You can read hieroglyphs?” Squee asks Kat.

            “Sure,” she shrugs, “my cybernetic eye can translate any language.”

            “Cool,” he comments.

            “I get the feeling this Apep was incredibly dangerous,” Dib says, “but he was sealed away with a curse because someone in his time felt it might be necessary to release him someday. Perhaps as some sort of trump card in a war.”        

            “Whatever,” Squee grunts, “curses are bad news.”

            “What, are you scared of a little mummy, Squeakers?” their classmate, Jessica, sneers.

            “Yeah,” Squee replies plainly.    

            “Don’t worry, Squee,” Dib says reassuringly, “the chances that the curse would be unlocked just by anyone ringing the gong are incredibly low. It would probably require someone powerful, like a Pharaoh, in order for it to work.”

            “Look at you, Mister Expert,” Henry scoffs, “you think you know everything, don’t you?”

            “Well, I certainly know a lot about curses,” Dib states proudly.

            “You’re such a freak,” he jeers and the other students start laughing. Dib just glares at them, irritated.

            “Okay, everyone, that’s enough,” Mr. Garland says, “the next hour is free time. Please peruse the museum and study the exhibits. But don’t touch anything; you don’t wanna risk breaking something.”

            The students quickly split into their own groups and go to do their own thing. Most go to the war room, chatting excitedly about the guns. Dib, Squee, and Maddie stay in the Egyptian room. Maddie doesn’t show much interest; she just plays on her GS3. But Dib examines the artifacts with great enthusiasm.

            “Egypt is such an interesting culture, don’t you think?” Dib asks, “I would love to see a real, live mummy.”

            “You mean ‘live’ like figuratively, right?” Squee questions.

            “I’ll take what I can get,” Dib shrugs.

            Dib reads a plaque on one of the god statues. Squee looks around, bored, until he notices Henry and his friends- James, Matt, and Alex- walk up to the sarcophagus.

            “Think there’s really a mummy in there?” James asks.

            “Nah, it’s probably fake,” Alex shrugs.

            “Why don’t you touch it?” Henry challenges.

            “No way, dude, you touch,” Alex retorts.

            “Ring the gong,” Matt orders.

            “No, dude, you do it,” James laughs.

            They start laughing and challenging each other to touch it. Squee watches them, unimpressed.

            “Simple things entertain simple minds,” he mutters.

            “What?” Henry snaps and they look at him. “You say something, Squeakers?”

            “Not really,” Squee shrugs.

            “If you’re so smart, then why don’t you ring the gong?” James challenges.

            “Because ringing the gong would be the complete opposite of smart,” Squee points out.

            “What are you, scared?” Alex jeers.

            “Yeah,” he replies plainly, “curses are dangerous.”

            “Squee’s right,” Dib nods, “better to not risk it.”  
            “You two are crazy,” Henry scoffs, “nothing is gonna happen if we ring it.”  
            “Maybe not if you ring it,” Dib says, “but if someone important were to ring it-.”

            “What, are you saying we’re not important?” he snaps.

            “In the general scheme of things, no not really.”

            Henry scoffs and stomps up to the gong. “I’ll show you,” he growls as he picks up the hammer.

            “No!” Dib exclaims. He rushes over and pulls the hammer away. “Don’t test it! This guy was named after a god of chaos. We can’t risk setting him free.”

            “It’s not real, you freak,” Henry snaps as he grabs the hammer and shoves Dib back. “Nothing is going to happen.”

            “Don’t!” Dib barks and grips the handle. They wrestle for it, shoving each other back and forth, until Dib’s foot slips on the floor. He falls back, ripping the hammer from Henry’s hands. He stumbles to catch his footing and strikes the gong.

            It rings loudly, the sound reverberating throughout the entire building. Dib gasps and steps back, dropping the hammer at his feet. “Oh no.”

            Everything is still for a second as the kids hold their breath and stare at the sarcophagus. But nothing happens.

            “Ha,” Henry scoffs, “see, I told you.”

            As they start to turn away, a horrible feeling shudders down Squee’s spine.

            “Squee,” Shmee warns.

            “Dib!” Squee shouts, “get back!”

            Dib looks at him with surprise then freezes when he hears a creak behind him, like an old door. He slowly looks back as the sarcophagus slowly opens up.

            An old, shriveled hand covered in dead skin reaches out, scratching the front of the sarcophagus lid. Dib, Henry, and his friends watch, petrified with fear, as a foot steps out with the same shriveled skin.

           “Hey!” Mr. Garland shouts as he, Mr. Lawrence, and the other students come into the room. “What’s going on…in…here…?”  
            They all freeze as the sarcophagus opens completely, revealing its contents: a tall, thin corpse with shriveled, off-colour brown skin. It’s completely naked except for some stray bandages wrapped loosely around its legs, arms, and torso. Its eye sockets are completely empty but its mouth has a series of sharp, rotten teeth. It moans, as if trying to breathe, and twitches as it lifts its back off the sarcophagus floor.

            It doesn’t move for a second, just stares off into the room, its jaw twitching like its trying to speak.

            “H-hello?” Dib squeaks nervously. “A-Apep?”

            Its head whips towards Dib’s with unsettlingly speed. He jumps back with surprise.           

            Apep lifts his hand, slowly and stiltedly, as if he’s not quite used to moving.

            “Squee, we gotta move!” Shmee warns.

            “Dib!” Squee exclaims.

            Without a second thought, Dib dives to the floor. A wave of dark blue energy is released from Apep’s hand. It hits the gong, disintegrating it into a pile of dust.

            “Whoa,” Dib whimpers.

           Simultaneously, all of the students start screaming. They race away into the weapons exhibit. Dib scrambles to his feet and he, Squee, and Maddie quickly join the stampede.

            Apep lumbers away from his sarcophagus and points his hand towards the ceiling of the weapons exhibit. He releases another blast, this one much more pinpointed than his previous, blowing a hole into the ceiling. Rubble falls in front of the doorway leading to the dinosaur exhibit, blocking the exit.

            Everyone screams as they slide to a stop. They look back as Apep lurches towards them, slowly but menacingly.    

            “This way!” Mr. Lawrence orders and points to the left of the room at a closed door. Everyone races to it and he throws it open, revealing a stairwell. They quickly race up the stairs to the second floor which is a hallway with some doors.

            Mr. Lawrence closes the door to the stairwell and locks it. Everyone pants as they stare at it, shocked and speechless.

            “I can’t believe this is happening,” Jessica moans.

            “That thing can’t be real,” another student, Maria, squeals.

            “It’s gonna kill us all!” a third student, Jackson, shrieks.

            “It’s all Dib’s fault!” Henry snaps.         

            “My fault?” Dib scoffs.

            “If you didn’t believe in all this stuff, then this wouldn’t have happened!” he barks.

            “Yeah!” Jessica agrees, “you’re so crazy, I bet you woke that mummy up just for fun.”  
            “I-,” Dib tries to argue but he’s quickly cut off.

            “You’re always getting everyone involved in your stupid fantasies!” Alex shouts.

            “You’re going to get us all killed!” James adds.

            “You should sacrifice yourself to save us!” Maria snaps.

            It’s a witch hunt. The terrified students are looking for someone to blame and poor Dib is their victim. He can’t even get a chance to argue his case. They shout at him endlessly, calling him names, telling him to give himself up to the mummy. The two adults are too stunned to try and stop it. Maddie watches nervously from the sidelines, glancing between Dib and the other students. Kat just rolls her eyes with annoyance.

            But Squee squeezes his fists tightly, growling quietly as his patience burn shorter and shorter, like the fuse on a bomb. And without warning, he snaps.

            “Shut up!” he shouts, his voice bouncing off the walls, startling everyone, even Shmee. They all look at him, wide-eyed and shocked.

            “You narrow-minded, short-sighted, ignorant cretins!” Squee snaps, stepping up the mob. “All Dib ever tries to do is protect you people, keep you safe from the monsters you deny the existences of. But you aren’t grateful, you don’t listen to him, you don’t even respect him! All you do is insult him; you call him crazy and push him around. And still, despite all of this, he just wants to keep people like you safe! You don’t deserve his kindness and if it were up to me, I would just let the mummy kill every one of you!”

            He pants angrily while everyone just stares him, bewildered. Even Shmee is surprised.

            Squee takes a deep breath and faces Dib. “How do we stop it?”

            “Ah, um,” Dib stammers, slightly taken aback. “Well, uh, we either gotta destroy it completely or we gotta trap it in its sarcophagus and reactivate the curse. Honestly, I prefer the second option. This thing is a marvel and I would like to keep it intact.”

            “I’m not sure we’re gonna have that luxury,” Squee points out, “but if it’s a curse we need, then we’re also gonna need someone who can read the hieroglyphs.”           

            He looks over at Kat and she blinks with surprise.

            “Fine, I’ll help,” she shrugs and walks over. “But only because that little outburst of yours impressed me. I didn’t know you had it in you,” she smirks and playfully punches Squee’s shoulder.

            He chuckles awkwardly and rubs his arm, “ow.”

            “Fine,” Dib groans, “but first, we should get everyone out of here safely. We don’t wanna risk anyone getting hurt.”  
            “If you say so,” Squee scoffs and rolls his eyes.

            “Mr. Lawrence, is there another way out?” Dib asks.

            “There’s an emergency exit in the Egypt exhibit,” he replies.

            “Seriously,” Squee groans.

            “That’s not gonna work,” Dib sighs and looks around. There’s a window at the end of the hall that looks out into a back alley. He pushes it open and pokes his head. There’s a full dumpster just below them.

            “You’re all gonna have to jump,” he orders.

            “Are you crazy?” Jessica snaps.

            “It’s either that or you contend with Apep,” Dib points out.

            Everyone murmurs amongst themselves before slowly approaching the window.

            “I’ll go first,” Mr. Garland says.

            “Get everyone to the bus and just get out of here,” Dib orders, “don’t worry about us.”

            Mr. Garland nods hesitantly. Then he squeezes through the small window and drops down to the dumpster. He lands harmlessly on the garbage and slides down onto the ground.

            “Okay, everyone else go, hurry,” Dib demands.

            One by one all of the students slip through the window and drop down onto the garbage. They move quickly until it’s only Maddie and Mr. Lawrence left.

            “Are you guys sure you’re gonna be okay?” Maddie asks nervously.

            “We’ll be fine,” Dib smile reassuringly.

            “But just in case,” Squee adds, “if we’re not back at the Skool by three, tell Zim, Pepito, and Gaz what happened.”

            She nods, wishes them good luck, and jumps out the window. Finally Mr. Lawrence does the same, so Dib, Squee, and Kat are the only ones left.

            “Alright, now what?” Kat asks.

            “I have to grab my stuff from the front desk,” Squee says, “I won’t be able to fight without it.”

            “But there’s only one doorway downstairs and it was blocked off,” Dib points out.

            “There has to be another way,” Squee insists and looks around. He sees an air duct higher up the wall. “The vents. They should lead to the front desk. I’ll just crawl through them.”

            “Good thing you’re small,” Dib comments, “alright, you grab your stuff. Tak and I will get to the Egypt exhibit and try to figure out the curse.”

            “Okay. Try to avoid the mummy if you can,” Squee warns.

            Dib nods as Squee jogs up the air vent. It’s at least two feet higher than he him. He could try to jump to grab it but how would he get the grate off?

            “Um, Kat?” he questions, “could you give me hand?”

            Kat rolls her eyes. Her human disguise drops, revealing her true cyborg-Irken self. Her PAK opens up and a pair of metal spider legs stretches out. They rip the grate off then carefully lift Squee up to the opening.

            “Thank you,” he says as he crawls inside. “I’ll meet up with you guys later.”  
            Dib and Tak watch him leave for a few seconds before looking at each other. They take a deep breath, go over to the stairwell door, and peek through the window. It’s dark and empty.

            “I don’t see him,” Dib says.

            “He must know we came up here,” Tak points out, “he’ll reach us eventually.”

            “But he moves slow, so we have a speed advantage.”

            “But if we get hit by his magic, we’ll turn to dust.”  
            They look at each other and nod simultaneously. “So don’t get hit.”

            Dib opens the door and they burst out and down the stairs at full speed. But they slide to an abrupt stop when they reach the middle landing as Apep scratches at the first floor door. He plants his hand on the window and turns the whole thing to dust. As he lumbers inside the stairwell, he looks up at Dib and Tak and makes a low, gurgling noise.

            “Move!” Tak orders. She grabs Dib’s arm and yanks him out of the way just as Apep shoots a beam up at them. It hits the wall behind them, making a large hole.

            Tak snarls and unleashes a spider leg from her PAK. It lunges at Apep. He points at it, releasing a beam of magic, reducing the metal appendage to dust. Tak gasps painfully.    

            Dib grabs hold of the stair railing and slides down. As he reaches the bottom, he jumps off and kicks Apep in the face. The mummy is too slow to react and flies backwards into the weapons exhibit.

            Dib lands on the floor and looks up at Tak. “Come on!”

            Tak follows him out of the stairwell and to the Egyptian exhibit as Apep slowly rises to his feet. They hurry to the stone tablet and slide to a stop.

            “It must have something written on it about the curse, right?” Dib asks hopefully.

            “I believe so,” Tak replies, “there is quite a lot written on here about Apep and the curse. It may be a code. But it will take me a second to decipher it.”

            They look back worriedly as Apep shambles into the doorway. He looks at them with his eyeless eyes and moans.

            “Decipher it!” Dib orders, “I’ll distract him.”  
            Dib races over to the left and waves his arms. “Hey, Apep, over here! Hit me if you can!”

            The mummy looks at him and growls. He swipes his arm, unleashing a wave of magic. Dib ducks under it and it slices through a statue and creates a gash in the hall, like it had been cut by a large blade. Dib shudders fearfully and starts running. Apep stares after him and lifts his hand. He shoots a beam of magic. It hits a cabinet inches in front of Dib. He screams with fear and surprise and falls backwards.

            Dib looks up as Apep points his hand at him. He yelps and covers his head as he waits for the attack to hit.

            Before Apep can shoot it, Squee races in, knife in hand, and slices through Apep’s arm at the shoulder. The magic attack dies in his palm as the severed arm bounces on the floor.

           Squee slides to a stop on the left side of Apep and faces him, his bag hanging off his shoulder, Shmee on his head, and his knives in his hands.

            “Squee!” Dib cheers with relief.

            Apep stares at his severed arm with a mix of surprise and grief on his face. Then he throws his head back and shrieks. Dib, Squee, and Tak cover their ears and antennae as the noise beats against their eardrums- and whatever Tak’s equivalent is.

            When he’s finally finished screaming, Apep looks at Squee with pure rage. Squee squeaks with surprise as Apep points his one good hand at him. He dives out of the way of a wave of magic. Tak shouts with surprise as it connects with the wall beside her.

            “Hey, watch it!” she barks.

            “Then hurry up!” Dib retorts as he stands up.

            “It’s no use!” Tak says hopelessly, “whatever was used to exact the curse we do not have now. We can’t trap him.”

            “Then our only hope is to destroy him,” Squee states.

            Apep waves his arm towards the boys. They yelp and dive out of the way of another magic attack then race over to Tak.

            “But how?” Dib asks.

            “We’ll blow him up,” Squee replies as he reaches into his bag and pulls out a Smiley Bomb.

            Dib sighs and nods, “okay.”

            Squee starts to pull the pin but before he gets the chance, Apep shoots another wave of magic at them. They narrowly dive out of the way and it destroys the stone tablet.

            “He’s not gonna give us a chance,” Squee says frantically, “even if I do manage to pull the pin, he’ll just destroy it before it can reach him.”

            “We gotta trap him first then,” Tak declares.

            “But how?” Dib asks.

            An idea strikes them at the same time and they look back at the sarcophagus. Then they look at each other and nod.

            They split up; Tak stays in front of Apep while Dib and Squee go around each side. Tak releases her remaining three spider legs and tries swinging them at him. He points at them and shoots beams of magic. Tak whips her legs about, dodging each beam, but she can’t any closer to him.

            Dib slips behind Apep and slams his elbow into the back of his head. Apep makes a gurgling noise like he’s gasping as he stumbles forward. He starts to turn around to face Dib when Tak lunges her spider legs at him. He shoots at them with magic to keep them at bay. Then Dib drives his fist into Apep side, causing him to stumble more to the left.

            Squee stands at the side, watching the fight closely, waiting for his chance. He feels a nagging feeling in the back of his head but he ignores, chocking it up to Apep, until Shmee suddenly perks up.

            “Squee!” he exclaims.

            Squee looks down as Apep’s severed arm grabs his ankle. He squeals with surprise and fear and falls backwards.

            Everyone looks at him with surprise. Apep starts to swing his good arm, aiming to unleash a wave of magic at the startled Squee. Dib reacts quickly and punches him in the face. Apep misses as he stumbles back, the attack flying just over Squee’s head. Apep snarls and glares at Dib.

            “Get off!” Squee snaps and kicks his leg furiously. The severed arm loses its grip on his pants and flies across the room, smacking Apep across the face. He looks at Squee and roars viciously.

            Dib cracks him across the face again. Apep stumbles backwards a little more before snarling at Dib. He lifts his arm and readies an attack. Dib prepares to dodge when Tak’s spider legs whips at Apep from behind, slicing through his bicep. The severed arm flops about at Apep’s feet.

            Apep shrieks with despair, both of his arms jumping around on the floor like fish out of water. The scream nearly cripples the kids again, but Squee grabs the opportunity quickly.

            “Dib!” he calls as he races across the room, knife in hand. He dives down and stabs the knife through one of Apep’s bandages hanging from his leg, driving it through the floor.

            Dib catches on quickly. He dashes over and high kicks Apep in the jaw. Apep cries out angrily but before he can catch himself, his caught bandage tightens and he loses his balance. It rips as he stumbles backwards and into the sarcophagus.

            Squee rolls to his feet, pulls the pin on his Smiley Bomb, and whips it after Apep just as Tak closes the lid with a spider leg.

            “Move, move!” Squee orders.

            The kids scramble away just as the bomb explodes, obliterating the sarcophagus, the wall, and much of the ceiling.

            Meanwhile, at the High Skool, the final bell rings, signalling the end of classes. Pepito and Zim walk to their lockers and look around curiously.

            “Squee and Dib aren’t back yet,” Zim states.

            “That field trip wasn’t supposed to take all day, was it?” Pepito asks.

            They put their stuff in their lockers and start to turn away just as Maddie quickly approaches.

            “Maddie, what’s up?” Pepito asks.

            “Squee and Dib haven’t returned?” she questions.

            “No,” Zim replies suspiciously.

            She nervously chews her thumb nail.

            “Why? What’s going on?” Pepito asks.

            “We were attacked by a mummy!” she bursts out, “Squee, Dib, and Kat stayed back to fight it. And they told me that if they didn’t return by three, to tell you guys!”  
            “What?” Pepito exclaims.

            “A mummy!” Zim gasps then cocks his head. “What’s a mummy?”  
            “It’s like a zombie,” he replies.

            “Zombies!?” Zim shrieks. He grabs Pepito and Maddie’s arms and zooms down the hall, dragging them behind. “Dib and Squee need our help.”  
            “What about Kat?” Pepito asks.

            “Who cares about her?” he scoffs.

            They race out the front doors but come to an abrupt halt in front of Gaz. She looks at them questionably.

            “What’s going on?” she asks.

            “Dib and Squee are in trouble!” Zim exclaims.

            “Huh?”

            They all flinch at a car door slamming and look up at Johnny, standing by his car and glaring at them.

            “What’s going on,” he demands.

            Pepito cowers behind Zim who’s shaking just as bad as he is. Only Maddie and Gaz aren’t completely petrified.

            “Uh we went to a museum and-,” Maddie starts to explain but Gaz cuts her off.

            “Look, there they are,” she says.

           They look down the road as Dib, Squee, and Kat- in her human disguise- walk towards them. They’re covered in dirt and dust and a few scrapes and scratches and they look overall exhausted.

            “Squee! Dib!” Zim and Pepito exclaim and rush over, Gaz and Maddie close behind.

            “Are you guys okay?” Pepito asks, “Maddie said you were attacked by a mummy!”  
            “Yeah! It was awesome!” Dib cheers.

            “You and I differ greatly on our definitions of ‘awesome’,” Squee grunts.

            “Okay but it was so awesome when you slid in and sliced his arm off,” Dib points out.

            “Not as awesome as you beating on him, like the way you high kicked him into the sarcophagus,” Squee retorts.

            “That only worked because you had the brilliant idea to catch his bandage so he’d lose his balance.”

            “But it was your brilliance that kept us all alive, even those useless troglodytes.”

            Dib chuckles, “yeah, well, it was really awesome how you stood up for me. No one’s ever done that before.”

            Squee stares at him with surprise then looks away awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. “Well uh…they had it coming. Still think we should’ve just left them for the mummy…”

            Dib smiles softly. Then they all blink with surprise as their names are called.

            “Dib, Squee, Kat!” Mr. Garland shouts as he jogs over. “I am glad you’re all okay.”  
            “Of course we’re okay,” Dib beams proudly.

            “But um listen,” he says nervously, “I don’t want this getting out. If the Skool board found out I left three of my students in danger, I could lose my job. So uh is there any way we could keep this quiet?”

            They glare him then glance at each other.

            “Tell you what,” Dib smirks, “we’ll send you a bill for our services.”  
            Squee laughs as they turn away, leaving the staggered Mr. Garland to just stare after them.

            “You guys!” Pepito exclaims as he clings to Squee’s arm. “You gotta tell us everything that happened!”

            “Later,” Squee whines, “I just wanna go home and sleep…for like a week.”  
            “Aw, that sounds good,” Dib sighs.

            “So why is she here?” Zim growls, nodding at Kat.

            “She helped us,” Squee replies, “right, Dib?”

            “Yeah,” he groans, “I guess she was kind of helpful.”

            “Don’t hurt yourself with those compliments, Dib,” Kat scoffs as she walks away. “I’ll see you guys.”

            “I can’t believe you actually teamed up with her,” Zim spits.

            “We had to do what we had to do to stop that mummy,” Dib points out, “it’s not like we could let it run rampant. Teaming up with people you don’t like to protect people who aren’t grateful: that’s what it means to be a hero. Right, Squee?”

            Squee chuckles. “I don’t think being a hero is really my thing, Dib.” He looks over at Johnny, who’s leaning against his car and watching them. “But I’ll do all that if it means protecting people who are important to me.”

            “Well, that’s heroic enough,” Dib shrugs.

            Squee smiles and waves as he turns away. “Anyway, I’ll see you guys later.”  
            The group quickly splits off, everyone going their respective ways to get home.

            Later that night, after a nice, long shower, Dib goes into his room wearing pyjama pants and a towel draped over his neck. His damp scythe lock lies flat on his head.

            He grabs his trench coat off his bed and digs around in the pockets until he finds a dirty, ripped bandage: a souvenir from the mummy.

            He seals the bandage in a plastic baggy and writes ‘Mummy Fragment’ on it in permanent marker. Then he grabs a book from his shelf. It’s a bulging scrapbook filled with remnants of his adventures.

            He tapes the baggy to an empty space on one of the pages and underneath it writes ‘Mummy- Apep- defeated by Dib and Squee.’

            He smiles at it proudly for a second before groaning and begrudgingly adds ‘and Tak.’


	100. Fanatics 59

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A ghost starts haunting Devi's apartment.

Possessed

 

            Devi hums to the song playing over her stereo as she paints. She rocks back and forth to the beat, her paintbrush producing dark colours all over the canvas. She feels relaxed and at peace.

            Unfortunately for her, that never lasts long.

            She stops when she thinks she hears something. She turns down her music and listens closely. When she doesn’t hear it again, she starts to turn the music back up, when something clatters in the kitchen.

            She peeks out of her studio, paintbrush in hand, ready to stab the eyes out of whoever is disturbing her. But she doesn’t see anything. Just a cup rolling along the floor.

            Devi picks it up and drops it in the sink. She takes a quick look around, wondering what could have made it fall, before heading back to her studio. But before she can make it, she hears the floorboards creak behind her. She jumps and spins around but again sees nothing.

            She looks around suspiciously. Everything is still and quiet, except for the low music coming from her stereo. But the hairs on her neck are standing up. She feels like she’s being watched.

            She tries to shake it off and go back to painting. But as she turns around, the volume on her stereo suddenly turns full blast. She covers her ears as the music bangs against the walls. She quickly hurries to the stereo and shuts it off.

            Devi pants heavily and looks around, fear bubbling up inside of her. Something is definitely wrong here. She starts to back away slowly, heading for the door, when she sees something that makes her freeze in her tracks. 

            Red paint is seeping through her canvas and running all down her painting. Wait, no. It’s not paint.

            It’s blood.

            Devi immediately spins on her heel and races out the door without a second thought. She speeds down the hallway and up the stairs to Tenna’s apartment, not daring to look back.

 

            Squee leans against Johnny and stretches out, sighing contently as he nuzzles his shoulder. Johnny looks at him with mild annoyance.

            “There’s like a whole couch here,” he points out.

            “Uh huh,” Squee mumbles, smiling warmly as he watches the TV.

            Nny rolls his eyes but he can’t hide his contentment. With his kid leaning against him and his cat curled up in lap, it’s hard not to feel relaxed and at peace.

            Unfortunately for all of them, that never lasts long.

            The front door flies open to Devi and Tenna. But they’re not their usual perky selves. Tenna is staring at Devi worriedly, who is wearing a dirty, black t-shirt and doesn’t even have her hair up in pigtails. She also looks freaked right out.

            “Guys, what’s wrong?” Squee asks as he sits up, away from the irritated Nny.

            “There is…something in my apartment,” Devi replies.

            “Something,” Johnny grunts.

            “Yes, something!” she snaps.

            “What kind of something?” Squee asks.

            “I don’t know. I think it might be a ghost.”  
            “Really?”

            “Yeah,” Devi groans and rubs her forehead. “Look, I know it sounds crazy-.”  
            “Of course not,” Squee says, “but I wonder why there would be one in your apartment. There’s never been a haunting there before.”

            “Well, a couple of girls recently died in our building,” Tenna points out.

            “Oh, yeah, I heard about that,” Devi nods, “like a couple of weeks ago they died from a gas leak or something.”

            “Well, even if this ghost is one of those girls, that still wouldn’t explain why she would be haunting you,” Squee muses, “were you close to them?”  
            “No, I never even saw them,” she replies.

            “Tenna, what about you?”

            “Nope,” she says, “but I heard one of them was kind of nuts.”  
            “So why come to us with this?” Johnny asks with annoyance.

            “It was Tenna’s idea,” Devi grunts, “I don’t really like it.”  
            “Come on,” Tenna insists, “Squee’s dealt with ghosts before. He can totally help you.”

            “What, me?” Squee exclaims, “I-I don’t know. I mean it’s not like I do it because I want to. I’d really rather not get involved if I could help it.”  
            “And I don’t want you to get involved,” Devi states, “you don’t need any more trouble.”

            “So what are you going to do then?” Tenna asks.

            Devi doesn’t answer. Just looks away worriedly.

            Squee watches her for a second before rubbing his head and groaning. “Look uh…let me call Dib. He’s a paranormal expert and I’m sure he’d be super excited to help out.”  
            “What? But-,” Devi starts to argue.

            “Don’t worry about it,” Squee says as he stands up and grabs his cellphone. “This is the kind of stuff he lives for.”  
            Devi smiles gratefully. Tenna grins as she pats her back. Johnny looks between them then at Squee and grumbles grumpily. He can’t just have a nice weekend.

            In about an hour, Dib arrives with Zim, Gaz, and Pepito. He’s beaming excitedly as he enters the house, bouncing like a hyper toddler. The others don’t look nearly as enthusiastic.

            “Did you really have to bring everyone?” Squee asks, “I mean not that I mind but…”

            “Well, to be honest, Zim insisted,” Dib replies, “but it really is more fun with all of us, don’t you think?”  
            “You and I differ greatly on the definition of fun,” Squee mutters.

            “Anyway!” Dib booms and faces Devi. “You’re Devi, right? The owner of the haunted apartment? We’ve never been properly introduced. I’m Dib, paranormal hunter extraordinaire. You did the right thing asking for my help.”

            “Uh, sure,” Devi replies, thrown off by his enthusiasm.

            “So how does this work?” Tenna asks, “do you have like ghost detectors?”

            “I do, but I didn’t bring them,” Dib replies and pats Squee’s shoulder. “Squee is better at detecting ghosts then any technology. He can actually see them, even when they’re just harmless spirits. I’m so jealous.”

            “If I could, I would give you this power in a heartbeat,” Squee grumbles bitterly.

            “Come on, Squee,” Dib cheers as he drags Squee out the door. “Let’s hurry to your friend’s apartment and get to work.”

            “Ugh, can’t you handle this without me?” Squee whines, “I mean you brought Pepito. He can see ghosts just as well as I can.”

            “Yeah but I like you better than him,” Dib states.

            “Hey!” Pepito snaps.

            “Come on, Squee. Isn’t this exciting?” Zim questions, “this is the first time a civilian has asked for our help. Now we can help her as Earth’s Battalion and get the praise we so deserve.”

            Squee glances between his four friends questionably. Gaz and Pepito don’t seem to care either way but Zim and Dib are beaming excitedly. It’s hard to say no to their bright faces.

            “Fine,” Squee groans, “just let me get my stuff.”

            He goes back into the house and grabs his bag and Shmee. “Nny, I’ll be back later,” he says.

            “Yeah,” Johnny grunts, “want me to come with you?”

            “Um,” Squee muses and glances at Zim and the others. They’re all frantically shaking their heads no.

            “No, that’s okay,” he replies quickly, “we’ll be fine.”

             He hastily waves goodbye before rushing out the door. Devi and Tenna follow close behind.

            “Woo, ghost hunting adventure!” Tenna cheers as they head to their cars. She and Devi get into Devi’s car while the kids get into Dib’s car and they both drive away.

            They arrive at the girls’ apartment building within a few minutes. They get out and stare at it ominously. Nothing looks off about it and the few people going in and out of the doors don’t seem spooked.

            “Well, I don’t sense any evil,” Pepito says.

            “That’s a good thing,” Squee comments.

            “Let’s check out the actual scene of the haunting,” Dib demands, “Devi, if you would.”

            “Uh, yeah, sure,” Devi nods before nervously approaching the front doors.

            “Don’t worry, human,” Zim says, “you’re safe with us.”

            Devi grunts uncertainly as pushes open the doors. They follow her up through the hallways to her apartment and she unlocks the door. The kids peek inside, curious but cautious.

            “Still don’t sense anything,” Pepito says as they enter, Squee holding onto his arm.

            “But it is really messy,” Dib comments as he steps over a pile of clothes.

            “No, it’s always like this,” Devi says from the safety of the hallway.

            “Hey, Squee,” Zim says quietly, “is it possible that your friend mistook everything that happened?”  
            “No way,” Squee replies, “Devi is like the most lucid out of all of us.”

            “But there’s clearly nothing here,” he points out.

            “Then what do you make of that?” Gaz asks as she points into Devi’s art studio. Through the doorway they’re able to clearly see the canvas she was working on. It’s stained a dark red with even darker red letters just barely visible. They read ‘Kill All Men’.

            “Maybe it’s feminist art,” Pepito suggests.

            “Excuse you,” Devi snaps, “I did not do that. It was the ghost!”

            “A ghost with a vendetta against all men perhaps?” Dib muses as they slowly approach the studio. “But then why target Devi.”

            “She’s had…issues with dates in the past,” Squee says, “maybe the ghost feels they’re like-minded in a way.”

            They all stop just outside the studio’s doorway. Without even entering the room they can feel a kind of heaviness radiating from it. They all suddenly feel very hesitant about going inside.

            “Right,” Zim grunts, “on the count of three. Ready? One…two…three.”         

            They all simultaneously take a step through the doorway. There’s suddenly a shrill shriek followed by a strong gust of wind. All of the boys are blown off their feet and across the room while Gaz seems to be untouched. She looks back at them with surprise as they hit the wall and fall the floor.

            “Squee!” Devi and Tenna exclaim and rush inside. Gaz meets them at the groaning boys and they help them up.

            “Wow, this ghost really does hate men,” Pepito chuckles painfully.

            “I find that offensive,” Zim grunts, “I’m not even human. Where does it get off hating me?”

            “Well, Devi,” Dib says as he rubs his back. “The good news is your apartment is definitely haunted and the ghost seems to have harboured itself in your art room.”

            “That’s the good news?” Devi scoffs, “then what’s the bad news?”  
            “Pepito and Squee can’t see it,” he replies, “which means it doesn’t have a tangible form. And without that, we can’t capture it.”

            “So what are you going to do?” Tenna asks.

            “Well, we may be able to help it find peace,” Dib suggests, “if we can learn more about it, maybe we can help it pass on.”

            “Ugh, the peaceful route?” Zim groans distastefully.

            “It’s all we got,” he shrugs, “so any ideas on how we might learn more about this ghost?”

            “Tenna had said that a couple girls died in this building recently,” Squee says, “one of them might be this ghost. Maybe we can learn more about her if we explore her apartment.”

            “Good idea,” Dib replies, “which number is?”

            “21A downstairs,” Tenna replies, “nobody’s moved in there yet so it should be vacant.”

            “Great. We’ll go check it out,” Dib says as he and the other kids head for the door. “In the meantime you two should be safe to stay here. Just maybe stay away from the art room.”

            With that the kids exit into the hallway, leaving Devi and Tenna staring awkwardly after them.

            They jog through the hall and downstairs, not stopping until they spot 21A. Zim tries the knob but as expected it’s locked.

            “How do we get in?” Gaz asks.

            “I got this,” Pepito replies as he steps forward. He holds his hands over the knob and wispy, black tendrils extend from his fingers. They disappear into the knob, wiggle around a bit, and then a slight click is heard before the door creaks open.

            “Voila,” he chirps.

            “Nice,” Dib comments as they go inside.

            The apartment is dark with all the furniture in its proper place. It looks like someone would still be living here. But there’s a heaviness in the air similar to what they felt in Devi’s studio. They move cautiously and close together, watching out for anything suspicious.

            “What’s that smell?” Gaz asks with disgust.

            “Tenna said they died from a gas leak,” Squee replies, “actually we should probably be wearing masks.”

            “My PAK isn’t detecting any toxicity in the air,” Zim says, “it’s probably just the scent caught in the furniture.”

            “Still, we shouldn’t stay too long,” Dib declares, “let’s find this ghost’s bedroom and get out of here.”

            They hurry through the living room and kitchen to a short hallway holding three doors. They try the first door and open it up to a bedroom. It’s simple with a dresser, bed, and nightstand. Nothing that looks obviously incriminating.

            “Score,” Pepito cheers.

            “Yeah, but there were two girls,” Squee points out, “this could be the other girl’s bedroom.”

            “Alright, so let’s try the other door,” Zim orders. They leave the first door open and try the second door. It’s another bedroom, fairly similar to the first.

            “What boring rooms,” Gaz comments.

            “Yeah. How do we know which one to search?” Pepito asks.

            “We’ll just have to do both,” Dib shrugs.

            “Right,” Zim nods, “Pepito, you come search the first room with me. Dib, Gaz, Squee, you guys check this room.”

            Dib, Gaz, and Squee quickly get to work searching through the drawers while Zim and Pepito head to the other room. They all still hold the belongings of their old owners. But there’s nothing interesting; mostly just clothes.

            “Jeez, there’s nothing,” Dib groans.

            “Maybe we’ll have better luck in the living room,” Squee suggests.

            They nod and start leaving, exiting one by one. Squee is the last but before he can step through the door, he gets a sudden bad feeling. He freezes and swallows hard as he senses a presence behind him.      

            “Sh-Shmee?” he questions.

            “She doesn’t seem dangerous,” Shmee says.

            Squee slowly looks back and sees a girl standing a few feet behind him. No, she’s hovering.

            She doesn’t look much older than him, maybe in her late teens. She’s wearing jeans and a sweatshirt and has long, black hair. Other than her transparency and hovering capabilities, she seems like a normal girl.

            She’s staring at Squee with wide eyes. He stares back.

            “Squee?” Dib questions. He ignores him.         
            “Um hello?” Squee squeaks nervously.

            “Hello,” the girl nods.      

            Squee clears his throat and faces her properly. “My-my name is Squee.”

            “That’s an odd name,” she comments, “I’m Alissa.”  
            “Alissa,” he repeats, “did you live here?”

            “Yes. This was my old room,” she replies, “I was upstairs watching my sister when I sensed your presence here.”  
            “You sister upstairs?” Squee questions, “is she the one haunting my friend, Devi?”

            “Yes, I’m sorry,” Alissa sighs, “I tried to stop her but she won’t listen to me. In life or death.”

            “Who is she?”

            “Her name is Ada,” she replies, “she’s my older sister. She’s taken care of me most of my life but she was never…quite right. I’ll spare you our dark backstory; suffice it to say she’s always hated men. I mean really hated them. She um…she’s actually…killed a couple.”

            She pauses as if waiting for some bewildered response from Squee but he doesn’t seem bothered. When he realizes what she’s waiting for, he flinches and looks away awkwardly.

            “Oh, wow, that’s um…that’s terrible,” he says, feigning surprise.

            “Yeah,” she says suspiciously then continues her story. “Anyway, her plans were getting more and more convoluted and she wouldn’t listen to a thing I said. So I stopped her the only way I could.”

“The gas leak,” Squee says with realization. “You caused it.”

            Alissa nods, looking down with shame. “But even death wouldn’t stop her. If anything it made her more unstoppable. Now she’s just a mass of anger and revenge.”

            “But why target Devi?” Squee asks.

            “Her apartment is directly above us and the walls are pretty thin,” Alissa replies, “we would often hear her complaining loudly about some guy she knows. Her hatred is fueling Ada. It won’t be long now before she strikes.”

            “Oh no,” Squee whimpers, his stomach dropping to his shoes.

            Meanwhile, upstairs, Devi paces back and forth across the room, glaring at her studio. Tenna watches her from the couch, curious and concerned.

            “I wonder why this ghost is stalking you,” she muses.

            “Isn’t that what the kids are trying to figure out?” Devi asks, irritated.

            “I guess,” Tenna shrugs, “but do you have any idea?”

            “No.”  
            “Well, let’s examine what we know.”

            “All we know is that it wants to kill all men,” Devi says impatiently, waving at her studio.

            “Right. So why choose you?” Tenna wonders. Then a thought strikes her. “Devi, what were you painting before the haunting started?”

            “Just a doodle,” Devi replies rather cagily.

            “But what sort of doodle?”        

            “A monster…”

            “What did it look like-?”

            “Johnny, alright!” Devi snaps, “I was painting Johnny as a monster.”  
            Tenna stares at her with surprise before bursting into laughter.

            “Shut up!” Devi barks, blushing with embarrassment.

            “Why-why were you painting Johnny as a monster?” Tenna asks between snickers.

            “Because he is a monster,” she growls.

            “Well, that’s probably why the ghost is targeting you,” she says, “it thinks you hate Johnny.”

            “I do hate Johnny,” Devi states.

            “Oh, come on. No you don’t.”

            “Of course I do. He’s a cold-hearted, psychotic dick!”

            “Then why do you spend so much time with him?”  
            Devi opens her mouth to argue but nothing comes out. She stammers uncertainly before glaring at the floor angrily.

            “Devi?” Tenna questions.

            “Johnny is a cold-hearted, selfish, idiotic psychopath,” Devi snaps, “and that’s all there is to it.”

            She starts to turn away when a strange noise is heard from her studio. At first it sounds like bizarre breathing but it quickly gets louder and louder until it sounds like raucous laughter.

            Something flies out of the room. It almost looks like a shadowy silhouette but none of the girls get a good enough look before it slams into Devi.

            She flies across the room and bounces off the wall, landing face down on the floor. Tenna quickly jumps over the couch and races to her. “Devi!”

            Before she can reach, some sort of blast sends her flying off her feet and smacking into the back of the couch. Before she blacks out, she sees Devi rise to her feet like a puppet on strings and race out the door.

            Back downstairs, Squee dashes out of Alissa’s rooms and down the hall past Dib and Gaz. They call his name and chase after him. Zim and Pepito hear all the commotion and quickly join the race.

            “What’s going on?” Dib asks as they run out of the apartment and down the hall. “What did that ghost tell you?”

            “Devi’s in danger!” Squee says worriedly, “Ada’s gonna do something horrible!”

            “Who’s Ada?” Zim asks.

            “The ghost!”

            They arrive at Devi’s apartment to find the door wide open and Tenna passed out against the back of the couch.

            “We’re too late,” Pepito sighs with despair. 

            “Tenna!” Squee cries with concern and rushes inside. He holds up Tenna’s face and gently pats her cheeks. “Tenna, are you okay? Can you hear me?”

            Tenna’s eyes crack open slowly and she groans. “Squee? Ugh, my neck.”

            “What happened?” Squee asks.

            “I-I don’t know,” Tenna replies as she rubs the back of her aching neck. “Devi suddenly flew off her feet and I went to check on her but then I flew off my feet and I guess I blacked out.”

            “We’re too late,” Squee laments, “Ada’s got her.”

            “Ada?” Tenna questions.

            Squee’s gone in a flash, out the door and down the hall before everyone else can fully comprehend what just happened. When they realize he ran off, they quickly chase after him.

            Squee goes back to Alissa’s apartment. He bursts through the door and goes straight to her room. “Alissa! Alissa!” he calls. She’s already hovering there. She looks at him worriedly.

            “We were too late,” he pants, “Ada’s got Devi. What’s she gonna do?”  
            “She’s possessed your friend and taken control of her body,” Alissa says, “she’ll use it achieve her goal. And she’s gonna start with the guy Devi was always complaining about.”

            “Oh no,” Squee moans, his stomach somehow sinking even more.

            “Squee, what’s going on?” Zim asks as he and others slide into the doorway.

            “She’s gonna go after Johnny!” Squee cries, “we gotta stop her!”

            They all race out of the room and down hall to the entrance of the building. Along the way, Squee grabs a notebook, pen, and lighter from his bag. He quickly scribbles something of the corner of a page before tearing it out and burning it.

            “What are you doing?” Tenna asks.

            “Calling for back-up,” Squee replies, “they’ll get there before us even by car. I just hope they make it before something horrible happens.”  
            Meanwhile, at the C house, Johnny fidgets on the couch while channel surfing. He just can’t sit still and he can’t decide on something to watch. Finally he turns the TV off, throws the remote away, and decides to use cat therapy to quell his frustration. He picks up Nugget and holds her to his chest. She doesn’t try to fight, just hangs from his arms.

            “Ugh, I should’ve gone with him,” Johnny groans, “why’s he always going on these adventures while I wait at home for him? I’m like a soldier’s wife.”

            He grumbles with dismay and rests his chin on Nugget’s head. Suddenly there’s a knock on the door. He leaves Nugget on the couch and answers it suspiciously.

            “Devi?” he questions, opening the door all the way.

            “Hi, Nny,” Devi chirps, beaming brightly.

            “What are you doing here?” he asks, “where’s Squee?”

            “Squee’s fine. I just got bored so I decided to come see you,” she replies.

            Johnny looks at her with confusion. He’s never seen Devi smile like that. At least not at him. “Are-are you okay?”

            “Never better,” she chimes, “so aren’t you gonna let me in?”

            “Um,” Johnny hums uncertainly. She gently rests her fingers against his chest and nudges him backwards. Johnny’s so flabbergasted all he can do is obey.

            “Are you sure you’re okay?” he asks.

            “I’m fine, silly,” she giggles, “why do you keep asking that?”  
            “It’s just I’ve never seen you act so…cutesy,” he replies.

            “I’m just happy to see you, is all.”

            Johnny cocks his eyebrow with bewilderment.

            As soon as Devi sets foot in the house, Nugget suddenly sets off. She starts hissing and yowling, her ears flat and fur standing straight up. Johnny watches her with surprise before narrowing his eyes suspiciously and glaring at Devi.

            “Alright, what’s going on?” he asks, “who are you, really?”  
            “What do you mean?” Devi questions as she closes the door.

            “Nugget’s never acted like that around Devi,” Johnny says, “something’s up. You’re not really Devi, are you?”

            Her expression changes in a flash. Her dark green eyes get even darker and a blood curdling grin spreads across her face. Johnny flinches with surprise.

            “You’re smarter than you look,” Devi says, but her voice doesn’t sound like Devi. It’s got a different sort of tone to it.

            Before Johnny can say anything, Devi swipes her hand through the air and he’s knocked off his feet. He flies across the room and slams into the wall opposite the door. He gasps as the wind is knocked out of him and he falls to the floor.

            Devi sighs with satisfaction as she walks forward. Nugget yowls and leaps at her. Devi flicks her wrist and she flies across the room. Johnny gasps and leaps onto the floor, catching her before she can land.

            “Hey! You can toss me around however you like but don’t hurt the cat!” he barks as he tucks her behind him. “That’s fucked up. Now who the hell are you? What’d you do to Devi?”

            “Devi is my puppet,” she replies, “I will use her to achieve my goals: the destruction of every disgusting male on this planet. And we’re starting with you.”

            “Ugh, another vengeance driven poltergeist,” Johnny groans, “how do I get myself into these messes?”

            Devi swipes her hand through the air again and Johnny is shoved into the wall. He quickly shakes it off and dashes over to the right. Devi follows him with her eyes and waves her hand. Johnny ducks low to the floor. He feels the force whoosh through his hair as he charges her.

            He pulls out a switchblade from his pocket before tackling her to the floor. He sits on top of her and swings his knife towards her neck. But at the last second, he hesitates.

            Devi shoves his chest and throws him off with inhuman power. He hits the floor hard.

            “Damnit,” he spits as he jumps to his feet. He rushes Devi again. She tries to hit him with her force again but he quickly jumps to the left and charges her side. As she turns to meet him, he swings his knife at her face. But again, at the last second he hesitates.

            Devi swings her arm and sends him flying back across the room. He bounces off the wall, gasping as the wind rushes out of him, and slumps onto the floor.

            “Damnit!” he barks with frustration. “Why can’t I-?”

            He stops as he looks up at her. The person who looks like Devi but doesn’t feel like Devi. All of his anger dissolves into something sadder, more confused, and just a bit scared.

            “Why can’t I hurt you?” he asks hopelessly.

            Devi points her hand at him and starts squeezing her fingers together. Johnny feels a growing pressure around his neck, like he’s being strangled. He doesn’t try to fight it. Just braces himself.

            Suddenly, two large arms hook up under Devi’s arms and lift her up nearly three feet off the floor. Johnny coughs as the pressure around his throat loosens and looks up with surprise at Reverend Meat, as Mr. Fuck, Psycho Doughboy, and Sickness rush through the doorway.

            “What are you guys doing here?” Johnny asks.

            “The Little Boss sent us this message,” Eff replies as he passes him a little scrap of paper that’s singed around the edges. It reads, “hurry to my house! Devi is not herself. Restrain her but don’t hurt her.”

            Devi shrieks furiously as Reverend Meat holds her off the floor. She tries to kick his legs but she can’t reach him.

            “What’s wrong with her?” D-boy asks.

            “I don’t really know but she’s determined to kill me,” Johnny replies then adds quietly, “and she might’ve succeeded if you guys didn’t show up.”

            “Alright, Reverend Meat, just hold her tight until Squee shows up,” Eff orders.

            “Sure, no problem,” he replies.

            Devi suddenly goes limp in his arms. Everyone looks at her with surprise when her head does a complete 180 and she glares at Reverend Meat, eye to eye.

            “What the f-!” he starts to exclaim when Devi shrieks like a pterodactyl. Reverend Meat is thrown backwards, his arms slipping off Devi, and smashes through the door.

            “My door!” Johnny snaps, “come on!”

            “I think we got bigger problems than your door, Nny,” D-boy points out worriedly while Devi dusts herself off. Then she glares at them and they flinch.

            “Hey!” Sickness snaps, popping up between Devi and the boys. “Get ahold of yourself, Devi! What’s your problem?”

            “Out of my way, little girl,” Devi growls as she shoves Sickness out of the way. “I’m going to annihilate these pigs. Starting with you.” She points menacingly at Johnny.

            “Wow, she’s really got a grudge against you,” Eff says, “what’d you do this time?”

            “Not a fucking thing,” Nny snaps, “she’s lost her mind.”

            “I will destroy all men,” Devi snarls as she stalks up to the boys, her fingers flexing. “And nothing will stop me.”

            “Ada!” She flinches at the sound of her real name and spins around. Squee pants as he leans against the doorway, Zim, Dib, Gaz, Pepito, and Tenna close behind.

            “Ada, stop this!” he shouts.

            “You again?” Devi snaps and waves her hand. “Leave me alone!”  
            The kids jump out of the doorway, dodging the evil wave while it knocks the woozy Reverend Meat back off his feet. They cower against the outside wall beside the doorway.

            “We can’t go the peaceful route this time, Squee,” Dib says, “we need another plan.”

            “I’m open to suggestions,” Squee says.

            “Do you still have that notebook we used to trap Reggie the Ripper?” he asks.

            “Of course, it’s in my room,” he replies.

            “Good. We can use the same book and the same spell to trap her,” Dib explains, “we’ll distract her while you grab it.”

            “Okay, but how are we gonna get her out of Devi’s body?” Squee asks.

            “We just need something silver,” he replies.

            “Silver?”

            “Yes. It’s a pure metal that all evil creatures hate.”

            “I can attest to that,” Pepito says, “that’s why all of my jewellery is gold.”  
            “Alright, everyone ready?” Zim asks.

            They nod and get ready to jump out only to realize that Devi has just appeared in the doorway.

            The kids scream with shock and fear. She snarls and starts to lift her hand when Tenna tackles her back into the house. She sits on her and holds down her arms.

            “Devi! Get it together!” she shouts, “you can fight this!”

            “Devi’s gone!” she shrieks before throwing Tenna off. She flies across the room and smacks into Nny, Eff, and D-boy. They all clatter to the floor.

            Devi stands up and starts to approach them when Zim, Dib, Gaz, and Pepito jump in from behind her. Pepito swings his guitar, Gaz lifts her bat, and Zim and Dib pull back their fists as the come down on her.

            Devi leaps out of the way just in time and skids across the floor in crouch. She glares at them angrily.

          “Sorry about this, Devi,” Pepito says as they glare back. “We’ll try not to hurt you too badly.”

            She snarls and whips her arm. Pepito lifts his hands and blocks the force, but it pushes him back a couple inches.

            Dib and Gaz race around either side of Pepito and charge Devi. Gaz goes in high with her bat while Dib goes in low with their fists. Devi sees them both coming and quickly pushes her arms out to the sides. Dib and Gaz fly backwards and hit the walls.

            Zim rises up on his spider legs. They throw him towards Devi and he flies at her, feet first. She lifts her hand and catches him with her force. He hovers there for a second, whimpering fearfully, before she flings into the ceiling. He bounces off of it and slams into the floor.

            Before Devi can choose another target, a wave of black energy slams into her and pushes her into the wall. She glares at Pepito who’s wielding his guitar like sword. He swings it, unleashing another wave of energy. Devi lifts her hand and squeezes it. The energy shatters like glass. Pepito flinches fearfully.

            Devi pushes her hand through the air. Pepito holds up his guitar and blocks the force but it pushes him back. She does it again and it pushes him back more and makes him cry out in pain. She does it a third time and it knocks Pepito off his feet and over the couch.

            Devi snarls and sets her sights on Johnny, Tenna, Eff, and D-boy. They whimper worriedly as Devi starts to step forward and lift her hand.

            Suddenly Sickness wraps her arms around Devi’s ankles, making her lose her balance and fall onto her face. Then Reverend Meat jumps in. He holds her arms behind her back with one hand and holds her head down with the other. She shrieks angrily into the floor as she writhes underneath him.

            “Eff! D-boy!” Squee shouts as he slides into the room, clutching a black notebook with a lock to his chest. On the cover written in white it reads, “Squee + Dib’s Spirt Notebook”. “Make a silver chain!”

            “Huh?” Eff questions, “but I’m not sure we can. We might only be able to make single chain links.”

            “Then combine your powers,” he demands.

            “How?” D-boy asks.

            “Think of something. You’re clever.”

            Eff and D-boy look at each other curiously. Then they take off their hats. D-boy squeezes the top of his hat into Eff’s and they both reach inside. Their eyes widen with astonishment as they both pull out the ends of a long, silver chain.

            “Good work,” Squee says and points at Devi. “Now trap her!”

            They put their hats back, jump to their feet, and run over to Reverend Meat and Devi.

            “Meat, lift her up!” Eff orders.

            Reverend Meat grabs Devi’s arms with both hands and picks her up, holding her off the floor. She howls profanities and kicks about.

            Eff and D-boy spread the chain and run on either side of the Devi. The second the chain makes contact, she starts shrieking in pain.

            The Doughboys go around her back, D-boy ducking under Reverend Meat’s arms while Eff leaps over him. Then they run back around Devi, toss each their ends of the chain, and go back around.

            They keep wrapping her up until Reverend Meat doesn’t have to hold her arms anymore. Then they toss him the ends of the chain and he pulls it tight.

            Devi falls to her knees, screeching agonizingly. Everybody gets up and clusters together in front of her while Reverend Meat holds her down from behind.

            “Squee, get the book ready,” Dib orders, “we have to be ready to trap her as soon as the ghost escapes.”

            “I know,” Squee nods as he opens the book to a blank page and readies a pen.

            Devi grits her teeth, her screams escaping in short bursts as she tries to fight the pain. She starts to lift up in the air, wind blowing violently around her. Reverend Meat tries to hold her down but he’s losing his grip on the chain.

            “No!” Devi screams. The chain severs into pieces and everyone is knocked off their feet. Devi drops to her feet and glares at them furiously.

            “I will not be stopped!” she shrieks, “I will not be contained! I will achieve my goal! And you will all die! Starting with you.”

            She points at Johnny and he groans exhaustedly, “come on…”  
            She starts to squeeze her hands together and visible pressure appears on Johnny’s clothes, like he’s being squeezed by a giant hand. With one last ditch effort, Zim, Dib, Gaz, Pepito, and Squee charge her. She lets go of Johnny with one hand and knocks them back like flies then immediately goes back to squeezing.

            Johnny groans in pain and squeezes his eyes shut as the pressure increases. It won’t be long before his bones crumble like dust beneath the force. At least it’s an interesting way to go.

            Suddenly the pressure stops and she lets him go. He gasps for breath and leans against the wall. Everybody looks at Devi with surprise. She’s trembling and squeezing her head like she’s got a massive migraine.

            “What…what’s happening?” she asks with confusion. “How are you doing this? You shouldn’t even exist anymore!”

            She’s panting like she’s having a hard time breathing. Then she suddenly throws her head back and screams with a voice that’s all Devi, “get out of my head, you bitch!”

            She throws herself into the wall and smashes her head. She makes a gagging noise as her eyes roll back in her head and she collapses to the floor.

            Then without warning, a shadowy silhouette flies out of Devi’s body. It materializes into a transparent body with long, messy black hair and dark eyes. She shrieks with frustration.

            “Squee, the book!” Dib orders.

            “Right!” Squee nods as he grabs the notebook and quickly draws a circle on the blank page. Immediately, Ada starts getting sucked into it.

            “No!” she screams, “I will not be contained! I will succeed!”

            Squee struggles to hold the book still from the strength of the suction. Zim, Dib, Gaz, and Pepito quickly grab onto it and help him.

            Ada digs her nails into the floor but she doesn’t slow down. She continues screaming until she disappears into the page. Then they slam the book shut and lock it.

            The silence is almost deafening. Everyone pants from exhilaration as they look at Devi’s unconscious body, stunned and speechless.

            “What just happened?” Tenna finally asks.

            “Devi wrestled control of her body back,” Dib replies in awe, “she went up against a powerful, vengeance-driven spirit and won.”

            Everybody blinks with surprise.

            “Devi’s fucking scary,” Johnny comments.

 

            Devi’s eyes crack open. She immediately closes them when she feels a splitting pain in the side of her head. She groans and moves to rub it but feels some kind of fabric instead of her hair. She forces her eyes open and looks around.

            She’s lying on Johnny’s couch in his living room. The first thing she sees is Nugget’s big eyes staring at her as she lies on the back of the couch.

            Devi slowly lifts her hand up to her. Nugget sniffs her fingers then mews satisfactorily and trots away.

            Devi groans and sits up, rubbing her head. There’s a bandage wrapped around it.

            “Devi!” Tenna squeals as she glomps her, nuzzling her neck. “You’re okay! I was so worried about you!”

            Devi’s too exhausted to react but she perks up when Johnny walks in. She looks away guiltily.

            “I’m…sorry,” she mutters.

            Johnny blinks with surprise then shrugs. “Don’t worry about it.”

            She looks around curiously. “Where’s Squee?”

            “He went back to your building with his friends,” Nny replies, “said there was one last thing they had to do.”

            Meanwhile, at Devi’s apartment building, Zim, Dib, Gaz, and Pepito follow Squee through Alissa and Ada’s old room. They stop outside Alissa’s bedroom and he goes inside.

            “Alissa?” he says. She’s still there, hovering quietly. She looks at him with surprise then smiles with relief.

            “You’re alive,” she sighs.

            “Yeah, we stopped her,” Squee nods, “but um we couldn’t help her. She was too powerful. All we could do was trap her in this.”

            He holds out his notebook and Alissa looks at curiously.

            “She’s trapped in that?” she questions.

            “Yeah. I’m sorry.”

            Alissa hovers back and smiles softly. “In life I believed my purpose was to control my sister. So I killed us both because I thought that was the only way to stop her. I believe that is why I couldn’t pass on; because she didn’t stop so I still had to control her. But I failed.”

            “You, however, were able to stop her. I’m grateful to you for that,” she says, “I don’t think I’ll be able to pass on though. I can’t go on without her. I love my sisters, despite her many, many flaws.”

            Squee smiles. “You know, Alissa, I think you and I got a lot in common.”

            Alissa smiles back.

            “At least promise me that if someone moves in, you won’t like torment them or anything,” he says.

            “Don’t worry,” she giggles, “I’ll be happy to have roommates.”

            Squee smiles and leaves, closing the door behind him. They exit the apartment, locking the door back up, and walk back to the entrance.

            “So Reggie the Ripper and Ada the Man-hater,” Zim states, “two powerful spirits are now trapped in that book.”

            “That makes it the most dangerous item in our possession,” Dib says.

            “Don’t worry. I’ll keep it safe and hidden,” Squee promises, “at least until we need it again.”

            “Hopefully we won’t,” Gaz says, “I mean how many powerful, vengeance-driven poltergeists can we go up against?”

            A worried silence falls over the group. They chuckle nervously to try and break the tension.


	101. Fanatics 60

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Night Terrors' fight for their home.

Towed

 

            Mr. Fuck, Sickness, Reverend Meat, and Aron stride down the street, arms full of cheap, nearly-expired groceries. Aron groans as he rolls his aching shoulders.

            “I don’t have the stamina for this,” he sighs.

            “We’re almost home,” Sickness says reassuringly.

            “It would be easier if Psycho Doughboy and Serena came with us,” Reverend Meat points out.

            “Well, that just means they won’t eat what we bought,” Eff states.

            “Speaking of, has anyone seen Serena today?” Sickness asks, “she wasn’t home when we woke up.”

            “Yeah, I haven’t seen her since last night,” Reverend Meat replies.

            “She probably went out,” Eff points out, “you know she likes to go out at night to feed.”

            “As long as she’s not feeding off me,” Aron grunts.

            They turn down an alley and start to come up to the street their van/house is permanently parked on. But as they step onto the road, they stop abruptly, their jaws dropping.

            A large tow truck has lifted the van up and is pulling it away.

            “No!” Aron cries, dropping his groceries. He races after the tow truck, waving his arms. “Stop! You can’t take it! That’s my house! All of my stuff is in there!”

            Eff, Sickness, and Reverend Meat watch him race off, bewildered and confused. As the surprise starts drifting off, Sickness looks at the boys and asks, “where’s Psycho Doughboy?”

            Rewind to a few minutes earlier, Psycho Doughboy is napping on his hammock in the van. He slowly drifts awake at the sound of an engine and metal clacking together outside. But he’s not fully coherent until the front of the van suddenly lifts up and he goes tumbling backwards, along with everything else in the van.

            “What the f-!” he starts to exclaim but gets cut off when the mini fridge slams into the wall to his left. He squeaks with surprise when the hot plate hits the wall to his right. And then Aron’s laptop flies into his stomach. He gasps in pain and doubles over.

            “What…is…going on…?” he croaks as he feels the van get pulled away.

           

            Squee sits next to Johnny on the couch, holding two plates of grilled cheese sandwiches. He hands one to Johnny and they dig in. 

            “After lunch we should probably do some shopping,” Squee says, “we’re out of milk.”

            “Fine,” Nny grunts with a mouthful of sandwich.

            The doorbell suddenly goes off and Johnny groans with annoyance. Squee rests his plate on the coffee table and answers the door. Mr. Fuck, Sickness, Reverend Meat, and their friend Aron are there. Mr. Fuck smiles awkwardly.

            “Um do you mind if we crash here for a bit?” he asks.

            “Why, what’s wrong?” Squee asks.

            “Well…our home got towed, Psycho Doughboy and Serena are missing, and our friend is having a nervous breakdown.”

           He points at Aron, who is clutching his head, staring hopelessly at the ground and muttering, “gone, all gone. All of my work, my whole life, just towed away.”

            “Uh, yeah, okay,” Squee nods and holds open the door. “Come in.”

            Eff and Reverend Meat march inside while Sickness guides Aron. He almost looks like he’s in shock and not fully conscious of what’s going on. She sits him on the couch. He hugs himself and stares miserably at the floor.

            “Okay, so your house got towed?” Squee questions.

            “Well, our van but yeah,” Eff nods.

            “And Serena and D-boy are missing?”  
            “I’m pretty sure D-boy was still in the van when it was towed so he’s probably wherever it is right now,” Reverend Meat replies, “but we haven’t seen Serena since last night.”

            “All gone, just towed away,” Aron sighs.

            “Aron, calm down,” Eff grunts, “we’re gonna find the van and all our stuff.”

            “But how?” Sickness asks, “did anyone see the name of the towing company?”

            Eff and Reverend Meat look at each other questionably.

            “The Cleaners,” Aron mumbles.

            “What?” Eff questions.

            “That was the name on the side of the question,” he clarifies, “The Cleaners.”

            “There, we got the name,” Eff says.

            “But how do we find them?” Sickness asks.

            “Hang on,” Squee orders. He grabs his cellphone and dials Dib’s number.

            “Y’ello,” he answers.

            “Dib, are you at your computer?” Squee asks.

            “Almost always.”  
            “Can I ask you a favour? I need you to look up The Cleaners towing company.”  
            “Sure. Stand by.”

            Dib is quiet for a few minutes before he speaks up again. “Alright, I got it. I can text you the address of the junkyard if you need.”  
            “That’d be great, thank you,” Squee nods.

            “Squee,” Dib says quickly, “I don’t know what this is about but you should also know, the whole company is funded by Celio Mussolini.”

            Squee blinks with surprise then nods again. “Okay, thank you, Dib.”

            Squee hangs up and stares at this phone, curiously. “Dib’s gonna text me the address for their junkyard.”

            “Awesome,” Sickness chirps and Eff and Reverend Meat nod enthusiastically.

            “Yeah,” Squee says then looks at them suspiciously. “He also said that the company is funded by Mussolini.”  
            Johnny looks at him with surprise. Eff, Reverend Meat, and Sickness blink then look away awkwardly.

            “Huh, how about that,” Eff mutters.

            “Why would Mussolini want to tow your van?” Squee asks.

            “Who knows,” Reverend Meat shrugs.

            Squee stares at them suspiciously but looks away when his phone vibrates. “Dib sent me the address.”

            Eff, Reverend Meat, and Sickness immediately look at it.

            “Okay, we can find that,” Eff nods.

            “Aron, stay here,” Sickness orders.

            “Ah, okay,” Aron nods as they head for the door.

            “Hey!” Squee calls after them but they ignore him as they disappear outside.

            Johnny, Squee, and Aron stare at the door for a second. Then Aron flinches under Johnny and Squee’s suspicious glares.

            Meanwhile at The Cleaners junkyard, D-boy clutches Aron’s laptop to his chest nervously and tries to look through the tinted windows of the van. On the left side he can’t see anything, just black. Through the right side he can see mounds of junk; car parts, unidentifiable pieces of metal, old furniture.

            He slides open the door but there’s a metal wall right outside the van. He can’t even poke his head out to see what the wall is attached to. And this door is the only one that opens, so he’s stuck in here.

            D-boy closes the door and sits down, confused and a little frightened. “What the fuck is going on?”

 

            Mr. Fuck, Reverend Meat, and Sickness leap across buildings through the city, looking for the address of the junkyard. It doesn’t take them long to find it. They perch on a building across the street and examine it.

            “Our van is in there,” Reverend Meat says. Eff and Sickness nod.

            “How are we gonna find it?” Sickness adds.

            “It’s a large VW,” Eff points out, “it shouldn’t be too hard to spot.”

            They leap down to the road and cross to the junkyard. It’s fenced off with a padlock and a chain holding the gates shut.

            They don’t waste time trying to break the chain. They easily hop over the gate and land inside the junkyard.

            “Okay, let’s move quickly,” Reverend Meat orders.

            They trot around the mounds of junk, looking around carefully for their van. They run around for quite a few minutes before Sickness slides to a stop as she spots something across the junkyard.

            “Guys, I think I found our van,” she says worriedly.

            Eff and Reverend Meat run back to see what she’s looking at. Down a pathway walled by piles of crushed vehicles is a large crusher with the van in position to be crushed.

            “Our stuff!” Eff cries.

            “And D-boy,” Reverend Meat adds.

            “Eh,” he shrugs.

            They race down the pathway. Sickness takes the lead with her inhuman speed and slides to an abrupt stop in front of the crusher. She looks around frantically for the controls.

            She spots a man in coveralls, smoking a cigarette and holding a remote. He points it at the crusher and starts to press a button.

           “Stop!” she exclaims and charges him. He looks at her with surprise as he presses the button.

            “No!” she cries and looks back at the crusher. Fortunately Reverend Meat gets there just in time. He leaps in between the roof of the van and the crusher and holds it up with his arms and knees. Even with his inhuman strength, he struggles to hold it, veins popping out on his arms. The roof of the van starts bending under his back.

            Inside the van, Psycho Doughboy hears metal creaking over his head as a large dip appears. He watches it curiously.

            Back outside, Sickness and Mr. Fuck race up to the worker. “Turn it off!” they shout.

            “I…” he stammers with confusion. Eff rips the remote from his hand and hectically examines the buttons. He spots ‘cancel’ and slams on it.

            The crusher shuts off, lifting off Reverend Meat. He cries out with relief as he lies down flat, his aching limbs sprawled out. Eff and Sickness sigh with relief.

            “What…who are you people?” the worker asks.

            Eff and Sickness glare at him. Eff presses the remote into the worker’s chest and snarls, “you never met us. And if you turn that machine on, I will gut you like a pig.”

            The worker shivers fearfully as Eff and Sickness turn away and hurry to the van. Reverend Meat slips off to the ground and rolls his arms. They pat him and comment him on his strength and endurance.

            “I’m not done yet,” he grunts. He cracks his knuckles and slips his hands under the van. He grunts with exertion as he lifts it up a couple of inches and pulls it off the machine. He drops it on the ground and sighs loudly.

            Eff slides open the door. D-boy is curled up on the beds, clutching Aron’s laptop to his chest. He looks at them with surprise, like a frightened deer.

            “So how’s your day been?” Eff asks.

            “I was about eighty percent certain the world ended,” D-boy replies.

            Sickness and Reverend Meat chuckle as he exits the van.

            “So, how are we getting out of here?” Sickness asks.

            They look at the van and Reverend Meat sighs exhaustedly, “not done yet.”  
            “Sickness, you steer,” he orders as he moves to the back of the van. Sickness climbs inside and sits in the front seat. The Doughboys join Reverend Meat at the back. They plant their hands on the wall and start pushing.

            As if it wasn’t hard enough pushing a giant, sixteen window bus with flat tires, but steering it around the mounds of junk adds to the difficulty. But they eventually make to the gate. Reverend Meat snaps the chain and they push the van out.

            They only make it a few minutes down the street when Sickness sees something ahead of them. “Hold up, you guys,” she calls.

            They stop pushing and peek around to see what’s going on. They see Johnny’s car up ahead with Johnny, Squee, and Aron leaning against it. Aron looks guilty and Squee is watching them with an accusatory glare.

            “Uh oh,” Eff sighs. They step around the van and join Sickness as they walk up to Squee.

            “Aron told me what happened,” he says, “why on Earth would you rob one of Mussolini’s banks?”

            The Night Terrors flinch and look at the ground like kids getting scolded by their parent.

            “It was the middle of winter,” Eff mutters.

            “We were cold,” D-boy adds quietly.

            “And hungry,” Reverend Meat mumbles.

            “We needed money,” Sickness concludes.

            “If you needed help why didn’t you come to me?” Squee asks.

            “We couldn’t,” Eff says.

            “Why not?”

            “Because-.” He stops abruptly, like the words got caught in his throat, and looks away uncomfortably.

            “Because you’ve already helped us so much,” D-boy says quietly, “you gave us freedom and made us human. We can’t rely on you for everything.”  
            Squee blinks with surprise and looks at each of them. They’re not meeting his eye but he can tell they all feel the same.

            He sighs, “guys, it’s not a bad thing to rely on others.”  
            “No, we know that,” Reverend Meat says quickly, “we rely on Aron and Serena for all kinds of things. But you’re different. You should be relying on us.”  
            “I do,” Squee says, “when things get really bad, I know I can call on you guys to help out. But that doesn’t mean you can’t do the same with me.”

            They groan and squirm uncomfortably. Squee sighs wearily and rolls his neck.

            “Well…it’s not like I don’t get where you’re coming from,” he says, “but if you’re gonna insist on living in that van, at least let me spruce it up for you.”

            “Spruce it up?” Sickness questions, “how would you do that?”  
            Squee grins as he pulls out his cellphone. “I know a guy.”  
            A few hours later, Squee, the Night Terrors, and Aron are in Zim’s living room. They’ve been trying to kill time for the last while. D-boy’s been squishing Skoodge like a chew toy, ignoring his moans of anguish, while Eff and Sickness play catch with Minimoose- Minimoose being the ball- and Reverend Meat arm wrestles with Gir. Gir is surprisingly winning. Squee and Aron ignore them and watch TV.

            Zim suddenly bursts into the room, posing victoriously. “It is complete!”

            “Ah, great,” Squee smiles and stands up.

            “Hey,” D-boy calls to Zim and holds up Skoodge by his leg. “Where can I get one of these?”

            “Sorry, I only got the one,” Zim shrugs, “now follow me.”  
            They follow Zim to the kitchen. The back wall opens up, giving them a direct doorway to the backyard. There’s nothing there at first until Zim snaps his fingers.

            A large section of the grass disappears into the ground and is replaced by an elevator that lifts up their van but it’s incredibly different.

           It’s a bright, beautiful pink with no scratches or dents. The tinted windows are all brand new. It’s got new tires that are actually inflated with new, shiny rims.

            Aron and the Night Terrors cheer with surprise and excitement.

            “It’s amazing!” Aron exclaims.

            “I know,” Zim nods, “but that’s not all. I didn’t just take your outdated, old vehicle and give it a make-over. I made it an entirely new machine.”  
            He smacks the wall. “The metal is a special, Vortian alloy that is near indestructible and completely laser and bullet proof. The tires are a Vortian rubber that cannot be punctured. And the windows are noise proof.  
            “Damn,” Eff whistles, impressed.

            “What kind of things do you think we’re gonna do?” Reverend Meat questions.

            “Gotta be ready for anything,” Zim shrugs, “but we’re not done yet. Under the hood-.” He lifts the hood of the van, revealing a brand new, strange looking engine that takes up the entire space. “Is an Irken engine. It is way more efficient than any Earth engine, does not require gasoline or antifreeze or any of those human chemicals. And it runs beautifully.”

            “We can actually drive it?” Sickness asks.

            “Of course,” Zim nods.

            “This is too good to be true,” Aron sighs.

            “But it’s not over yet,” Zim sings and slides open the door. “Go ahead, take a look inside.”

            They all clamber inside excitedly. All of their old mattresses are gone as well as the naked, metal walls. Instead there is a soft, fuzzy, dark pink carpet and velvety matching walls. There’s also comfortably dim, fluorescent lights hanging around the edge of the ceiling. And along the side and back walls are soft light pink bench seats.  

            The front’s been renovated too. The bucket seats match the bench seats and the old, metal dashboard is now smooth and black with a state-of-the-art stereo and a new steering wheel and dials. And sitting on the passenger seat is all of their stuff.

            “There’s no way this is real,” Aron says in awe.

            “It’s so soft,” Sickness sighs as she rubs the carpet.

            “But what is it with you and pink?” D-boy asks.

            “It’s a good colour,” Zim snaps, offended.

            “How are the lights on?” Reverend Meat asks.

            “Oh, did I neglect to mention that the engine works as a generator?” Zim asks slyly.

            “What?” they exclaim with excited bewilderment.

            “There are outlets in the wall,” he explains, “just plug whatever you want into them.”  
            “This is the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me,” Aron sighs with elation.

            “You really went above and beyond, Zim,” Squee comments.

            “It’s how I roll,” he smirks.

            “Thanks a lot for this.”

            “Anything for you, Squee.”

            They grin brightly at each other.

            “So what do you guys think?” Squee asks the Night Terrors.

            They immediately stop remarking on how incredible the van is and look away uncomfortably.

            “Well…we’re gonna have to add on our own touches,” Eff says.

            “Yeah and my hammock is gone,” D-boy adds.

            “There aren’t enough beds for all of us to sleep on,” Sickness says.

            “And the pink is really overbearing,” Reverend Meat concludes.

            Squee chuckles. “You know, you can just say ‘thank you’.”

            They blink with surprise then mutter awkwardly, “thank you.” 

            Squee beams brightly.

            “Um, but you know,” Aron say, “none of us can actually drive.”  
            “Oh, right,” Reverend Meat grunts.

            “Well, guess we’re living in this guy’s backyard from now,” Eff shrugs.

            “No way!” Zim barks, “Computer! Eject the load!”

            The elevator suddenly bounces up on a large spring, shooting the van into the air with Aron and the Night Terrors inside. They scream with surprise as they disappear into the distance.

            “Zim,” Squee scolds.

            “Relax,” he groans, “it’s completely shock absorbent.”

            “Ah, well, okay then,” he shrugs.

            The back wall of the house slides shut as they go inside.

            “Did you finish that other thing I asked you for?” Squee asks.

            “Yup,” Zim nods. His PAK opens up and hands him an old style cellphone with a small screen and number pad. “It can only make outgoing calls to your cellphone and home phone. The battery is Irken so it can receive calls from anywhere in the world and it will never run out of power.”  

            “Awesome, thank you,” Squee replies as he takes it. “I’ll get this to them later. I owe you, Zim.”  
            “Just serve me for the rest of your life and we’ll call it even,” Zim says.

            “Deal,” Squee laughs and heads for the front door. “I better get going. Nny will be getting bored of the arcade.”

            They wave goodbye as he heads out.

            Meanwhile a few blocks away, Mr. Fuck, Psycho Doughboy, Sickness, Reverend Meat, and Aron groan on the floor of their van after it just landed in the middle of an empty parking lot. They didn’t feel it land but the whole flying through the air thing was really harrowing.

            “That fucking alien,” Eff growls as he sits up. “He’s so lucky he’s Squee’s friend.”

            “Yeah but he did do a great job on our van,” Aron points out.

            “Yeah,” Reverend Meat sighs as he nuzzles his face into the carpet. “It’s so soft.”

            “I guess we should figure out how to drive it so we can get closer to the University,” Sickness points out.

            “How hard could it be?” D-boy shrugs.

            “I mean I know how to drive,” Aron says, “I just don’t have a license so it wouldn’t really be legal.”  
            “Like we need to worry about cops,” Eff scoffs.

            “Doesn’t Serena have a license?” Reverend Meat asks.

            “Oh, yeah,” Sickness says, “what are we gonna do about her anyway? She’s gonna head back to where our van used to be park and wonder what happened.”

            “We can look for her later,” D-boy shrugs.

            “I wonder what she’s been up to all day,” Eff muses.

            Meanwhile, in Mussolini Banks Head Office in the largest room on the highest floor, Serena is sitting in a chair facing Mussolini in his desk. Beside her and in front of her are two large, armed men. She glares at Mussolini, trapped and defeated. He grins at her victoriously.

            “So, Miss Von?” he asks, “what’s it gonna be?”


	102. Fanatics 61

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Battalion help the Night Terrors save a friend.

The Rescue

 

            Zim, Dib, Gaz, Pepito, and Squee walk through the Skool together after a long day of learning. They chat amongst themselves about their day. Well, it’s mostly just Zim chatting.

            “…so I raised my hand because I knew the answer. But then Poonchy said it without even being called on! Can you believe that?” he complains, “such bad classroom etiquette. And even worse, Miss Sweeties praised him! I should’ve been the one receiving that praise.”

            “Well, maybe next time you should just shout out the answer,” Gaz suggests sarcastically.

            “I will!” Zim declares, “I will shout out every answer.”

            “Tomorrow’s class should be entertaining,” Pepito smiles wearily.

            The others laugh as they leave the building and head down the front walk. But they stop abruptly when they see someone leaning against the fence. They glare at him suspiciously.

            It’s Jeff Von, the rich vampire. He approaches them slowly, an uncomfortable expression on his face.

            “What do you want, Von?” Dib asks.

            Jeff clears his throat awkwardly. “Have uh…have you seen my sister?”  
            “Your sister?” Squee questions.

            “Why would we have seen her?” Pepito asks.

            “Because she told me the people she’s living with are connected to you,” Jeff replies, pointing at Squee.

            “They are,” he nods, “but what’s the problem?”

            “Usually we call each other every night,” Jeff explains, “but I haven’t heard from her for four days.”

          “Four days?” Squee questions then mutters, “that would’ve been when the van was towed.”

            “What?” Jeff asks.

            “Hang on,” he orders as he grabs his phone. He dials a number and holds it to his ear.

            They pick up but all Squee hears is loud arguing.

            “I wanna talk to him!”

            “I’m talking to him!”  
            “Let me talk! Let me talk!”          

            “No, I wanna talk!”  
            “Look, I already answered so I’m talking to him!”

            Squee groans exhaustedly as he pinches the bridge of his nose.

            “Hey, Little Boss,” Mr. Fuck chimes.

            “Hello, Eff,” he sighs, “have any of you heard from Serena?”

            “No. That’s funny,” he replies, “we were just talking about her.”

            “Well, her brother is here. He says he hasn’t been able to contact her for four days.”

            “Yeah, that’s about how long she’s been missing.”

            “Alright. I’ll text you some further instructions,” Squee says before hanging up. He looks at Zim worriedly. “I think we might have a real problem here, Zim.”

            A few minutes later, they’re all standing in the shadows of an alley, down the street from Mussolini Banks Head Office. They peek around a building and stare at it suspiciously.

            “Are we really gonna waste our time and energy helping a vampire?” Dib asks, annoyed.

            “Dib, don’t be xenophobic,” Gaz grunts.

            “Jeff came to us for help,” Squee points out, “that must’ve been very painful for him.”  
            “It was,” Jeff groans.

            “Besides, whatever Mussolini’s planning, we can’t let him get away with it,” Zim growls.

            “But I don’t understand,” Jeff says, “why would Celio Mussolini have my sister?”  
            “Because she and her idiot friends thought it would be a great idea to rob one of Mussolini’s banks last winter,” Squee replies.

            “What? She’s a criminal?” he exclaims.

            “She is indeed,” he nods, “and I think Mussolini found out and is now exacting his revenge. It wouldn’t be the first time he’s used kidnapping for vengeance sake. Believe me, I know.”

            “Well, let’s charge in there and save her,” Jeff barks.

            “Patience, Von,” Pepito says, “nothing will be gained by charging into the grasp of the most powerful man in the city.”  
            “Yeah,” Squee agrees, “besides, we’re still waiting for some people.”  
            “Who?” Jeff asks.

           As if on cue, Mr. Fuck, Psycho Doughboy, Reverend Meat, and Sickness leap in from the sky. They startle Jeff but Squee and the others are unfazed.

            “Jeff, these are my Night Terrors and Serena’s roommates,” Squee says.       

            “So you’re the ones who turned my sister into a criminal,” Jeff snarls.

            “Turned?” D-boy scoffs, “Serena was a criminal long before we met her. Hell, we only know her because she tried to kill me once.”  
            “Yeah and besides, it was your father who kicked her out and cut her off,” Sickness points out.

            Jeff flinches, unable to argue.

            “Alright, save the dramatics,” Zim snaps, “we got work to do.”

            “Right,” Reverend Meat nods, “of course Mussolini has Serena. We should’ve thought of that.”

            “It’s better this way,” Squee says, “if you guys tried to save her by yourselves, you’d just cause more trouble.”

            “So where do we begin?” Eff asks.

            “We gotta cut the power so there won’t be any camera footage of us,” Dib replies.

            “On it,” D-boy says as he draws a large knife from his hat.

            “What are you doing with that?” Squee asks.

            “Cutting the power,” he replies blankly.

            “He means that literally,” Reverend Meat says.

            “We don’t need anything that primitive,” Zim scoffs. A small remote with one red button pops out of his PAK. He points it at Mussolini’s building and pushes the button. The lights in the windows immediately blink off.

            “There,” Zim chimes as he puts the remote away. “Alright, Squee. Where would Mussolini most likely be?”

            “In his office,” Squee replies, “the biggest window at the highest point of the building.”

            “Alright.” His spider legs lift out of his PAK. He rests the bottom two on the ground and holds the top two up. “Everyone grab on and I’ll get us up there.”

            The kids grab hold of the top two while Eff scoffs, “we don’t need anything that high tech.”

            The Night Terrors leap to the top of the building. The kids stare after them and Zim growls. The kids shout with surprise as his spider legs spring them into the air. He lands on the roof and races after the bouncing Night Terrors, the kids hanging on for dear life.

            He finally catches up to them on Mussolini’s building. They smirk at him.

            “What took you so long?” Reverend Meat asks obnoxiously. Zim snarls.

            “Dammit, Zim,” Dib groans as the kids slip off his spider legs and try to calm their motion sickness.

            “So what now?” Eff asks, “break in through the window?”  
            “No, we can’t afford to be seen by anyone on the street,” Squee replies.

            “Everyone, stay low,” Zim orders.

            His spider legs cut a clean hole through the roof, all the way to the room below.

            “I could’ve just punched our way through,” Reverend Meat shrugs.

            “This way is much more elegant,” Zim points out.

            “Shush!” Dib snaps.

            Zim’s spider legs lift the severed section out of the roof and rest it to the side.

            “Now we gotta carefully and quietly enter and-,” Squee starts to explain but he’s cut off by Jeff.

            “Fuck that!” he barks and dives into the hole.

            “Liability,” Gaz groans and they jump after him.

            “Alright, Mussolini!” Jeff snaps as he lands on a desk. “Where’s my sister-huh?”

            The room is completely empty- no guards, no Mussolini, no one at all.

            “Well, that was anticlimactic,” Pepito comments.

            “He probably went looking for the cause of the black out,” Squee says.

          “Good. Let’s cut all of the cameras in this room and when he comes back, we’ll ambush him,” Zim orders.

            “On it!” D-boy says, brandishing his knife. Before anyone can stop him, he immediately slices all of the visible cameras in the room in half.

            “That’s not exactly what I meant…but it’ll work,” Zim shrugs.

            “There might be hidden cameras too,” Dib points out.

            “Way ahead of you, Dib,” he says as an antenna pops out of his PAK. It releases a signal that covers the whole room. “There. That’ll deactivate all surveillance equipment in our immediate vicinity.”  
            “You just carry this stuff around with you?” Jeff asks.

            “You have to be prepared for anything.”  
            “So how are we gonna ambush him?” Sickness asks.

            “Let’s hide behind the furniture and jump out at him,” Eff replies.

            “It’s not a surprise party,” D-boy snaps.

            “Let’s just stand by the door and when he walks in, we’ll wale on him,” Reverend Meat says.

            “No, he’ll probably have guards,” Squee points out, “we have to take them out first.”      

            “Fine, then we’ll throw Mussolini out of the way and wale on his guards,” he clarifies.

             “We can’t risk anyone in the hallway seeing us,” Dib argues, “we have to do this quickly and quietly.”  
            “Jeez, you guys are picky,” D-boy comments.

            Before anyone else can say anything, the lights suddenly flash on and they freeze. Then they hear footsteps coming down the hall. Everyone panics and scrambles around before ducking behind a large couch.

            The door opens and Mussolini hobbles in on a cane, looking as horrid as ever with his horrendous scars. Carson and two large, suited men follow close behind.

            “We couldn’t figure out what the problem was, but at least the power’s back on,” Carson says optimistically.

            “You’re so short-sighted, Carson,” Mussolini growls, “anything could’ve happened in those few minutes. Make sure everything is in order.”

            “Yes, sir,” Carson nods.

            “And check on the Von girl. We can’t let her leave the building.”

            Jeff grits his fangs angrily. Zim puts his finger to his mouth, warning him to keep quiet.

            “Hey,” Mussolini snarls, “what is that?”

            They’re all looking at the large hole in the ceiling. Zim flinches with annoyance before nodding at the others.

            They all leap out of the cover, landing on the couch. Mussolini and the others exclaim with surprise.

            “Doughboys, get the guards!” Squee orders, “Reverend Meat, watch the door!”

            Before Mussolini’s guards can draw the guns, the Doughboys leap across the room like acrobats, landing right on top of them. They pin them to the floor, twisting their arms and holding their mouths so they can’t cry out. Reverend Meat stands in front of the door, holding it shut with just his weight.

            “What is the meaning of this?” Mussolini barks. He narrows his eyes as he gets a better look at his assailants. “Hey, wait! You freaks are the ones who robbed my bank a few months ago.”

            “Yeah,” Sickness nods as she gets up in his face. “And you stole our van and our vampire!”

            “You mean my sister,” Jeff snaps.

            “Can’t she be both?”  
            “Vampire?” Mussolini questions, “oh, you must mean Serena Von? It’s ridiculous to call her a vampire.”

            “It’s ridiculous that you think that,” Dib comments.

            “And you must be Jeff Von,” Mussolini says, “if you’re worried about your sister, you shouldn’t be. She’s perfectly safe.”

            “Then why isn’t she answering my calls?” Jeff demands.

            “She’s busy with work, of course.”  
            “Work?” the Night Terrors snort with disbelief.

            “Don’t play with us, Mussolini,” Zim snaps, “we know all about your nefarious ways!”

            “And who are you?” Mussolini scoffs.

            “We’re with Squee,” Pepito says, “and we owe you for all the trouble you’ve caused him in the past.”  
            “Ah, Squee C,” Mussolini nods, “I’m surprised to see you here.”

            “It’s purely business,” Squee says.

            “Nevertheless, you’re all committing major crimes,” Mussolini snaps.

            “Good luck convicting us,” Dib laughs, “you won’t have any surveillance footage or proof of any kind.”

            “Aren’t you the Membrane child?” Mussolini asks, “what would your father think of you acting like this?”  
            “Dad already disagrees with my life choices and he doesn’t even know about half the stuff I do,” Dib replies, “but that’s not important. Where’s Serena Von?”

            “I told you, she’s working,” Mussolini replies.

            “But she doesn’t have a job,” Sickness points out.

            “She does now,” he argues, “with me.”

            “Let me see her!” Jeff orders.

            “Ah, very well. I suppose she is allowed one break,” he sighs, “Carson, call her up.”

            “Y-yes, sir,” Carson nods and walks to the desk. He starts to press a button on a microphone when Sickness jumps onto the desktop, interrupting him.

            “Tell Serena to come here,” Sickness orders, “say anything else, and I’ll cut your throat.”

            All of the colour drains from Carson’s face. He nods and pushes the button. “Serena Von, report to Mr. Mussolini’s office.”

            He lets go of the microphone and steps back, folding his arms behind his back.

            It takes a few minutes for Serena to arrive. There’s a timid knock on the door. Reverend Meat steps away and opens it and she walks in.

            “Wha-?” she exclaims with surprise.

            “Serena!” the Night Terrors cheer. Sickness and Reverend Meat race up to her and the Doughboys quickly knock out the two guards before following.

            “What are you guys doing?” Serena asks.

            “We’re here for you obviously,” Jeff replies as he approaches her.

            “Jeff?” she questions then shakes her head. “No, you shouldn’t have come.”

            “What do you mean? We’re here to rescue you,” D-boy says.

            “I don’t need to be rescued,” she snaps, “I-I’m fine here.”  
            “Really?” Eff grunts, “with Mussolini.”  
          “Yeah,” she nods and smiles. “He gave me a job and a place to sleep instead that drafty van.”

            “Okay, it was pretty drafty but it got an upgrade,” Reverend Meat points out, “so let’s-.”  
            “No!” she barks, “I don’t wanna go. I’m happy here.”  
            Everyone stares at her with surprise. Then Jeff narrows his eyes.

            “You’re lying,” he growls.

            “What?” Serena squeaks.

            “Now, now, quit harassing my employee,” Mussolini scolds, “if she doesn’t want to leave, that’s her choice.”  
            “It’s not though,” Squee says, “you’re blackmailing her. You’re holding something over her head. But what?”

            “He-he’s not-,” Serena tries to argue but Zim cuts her off.

            “Shut up, vampire. It’s obvious from the look on your face,” he scoffs.

            She winces and looks away.

            “So he’s blackmailing her. But with what?” Pepito asks.

            “Family reputation,” Gaz replies.

            Everyone looks at her with surprise.

            “She’s right,” Dib says realization, “the Vons are a rich family, probably well known amongst the high class. If it’s announced that the eldest daughter robbed a bank, that’ll ruin everything.”  
            “You’re very smart,” Mussolini comments, “fine, you’re right. I knew it was this freak show that robbed my bank. It took a while to find them, since they were living in that disgusting van-.”

            “It wasn’t disgusting,” the Night Terrors bark, cutting him off.

            “-but when I did, it was a cakewalk,” he continues, ignoring them. “Now Serena Von is mine to command. And if she doesn’t want to ruin her family’s reputation, she’ll do everything I say.”  
            “Why are your revenge plots always so convoluted?” Squee questions, “why do you always wanna ruin people’s lives? Killing them would be so much easier.”

            “Wait, wait, wait,” Jeff says quickly, “is that it?”

            “What?” Mussolini questions.

           “You threatened Serena with our father’s reputation? That’s-.” He stops and looks at Serena. “That’s it? That’s why you’re slaving for this zombiefied psychopath?”

            “Well-I-,” Serena stammers.

            “Dad threw you out,” he snaps, “he abandoned you without any money or help of any kind. And you’re worried about his feelings? His reputation? Who cares! You have to live your life however you can. And if it makes him look bad, well that’s his problem, not yours.”  
            She blinks with surprise and realization.

            “Enough of this,” Mussolini scoffs, “Von, get back to work.”

            Serena looks at the ground uncertainly.

            “Von!” he snaps, “back to work!”

            “No,” she hisses.

            “Excuse me?”

            “No!” she barks and stomps up to him. “I’m not working for you. You kidnapped me. You threatened me. You threatened my friends.”  
            “He also tried to destroy our van,” D-boy says.

            “You tried to destroy our van?” she snarls and stands over Mussolini, baring her fangs. “I should bleed you dry.”

           Mussolini cowers before her, unable to react. Carson winces and starts to reach into his coat. Zim’s spider legs suddenly pop out of his PAK, stretch across the room, and point at him, their sharp tips inches from his body.

            “Not one move, worm,” he growls. Carson squeaks and remains perfectly still.

            “You-you can’t do anything to me,” Mussolini growls, trying to sound confident. “I-I’m the most powerful man in the city.”  
            Serena snarls, her fangs glistening in the bright light. Mussolini whimpers fearfully.

            “You’re right,” she shrugs and steps back.

            “Wha-?” he questions, dazed.

            “But you can’t do anything to me either,” she points out as she jumps onto the desk. “Go ahead, ruin my dad’s reputation. Jeff was right; he deserves it.”

            She looks at the Night Terrors and points at the large hole in the ceiling. “Let’s go, guys.”  
            They smile excitedly and race up to her. They hop onto the desk and jump through the hole together. Jeff follows, stepping onto the desk and pointing at Mussolini.

            “Don’t mess with my family,” he warns before jumping through the hole.

            The Battalion go next, Squee first, followed by Pepito, Gaz, and Dib. All of them wave goodbye as they jump out.

           Zim is last. As his spider legs stretch up through the hole to lift him out, he looks at Mussolini.

            “You know, for being the most powerful man in the city, you’re kind of pathetic,” he comments.

            With that, he exits, leaving Mussolini trembling on his knees, Carson still frozen out of fear, and his two armed men passed out on the floor.

            The Battalion, the Night Terrors, and the Von siblings leap across buildings away from Mussolini Banks Head Office, most of them hanging off Zim’s spider legs. Once they’re a block or so away, they jump to the ground and walk down the streets together.

            “Thanks for coming for me, you guys,” Serena smiles.

            “Forget about it,” Eff shrugs.

            “We probably should’ve looked for you sooner,” Reverend Meat points out, “we didn’t realize we should be worried until your brother came to our boss for help.”

            “You asked them for help?” Serena asks Jeff with disbelief. “I thought you hated them.”  
            “I do,” he groans, “but I didn’t think I could find you without help.”  
            “Aw, you’re such a good brother,” she coos and hugs him tight.

            “Alright, alright,” Jeff groans and wiggles out of her arms. “Enough with the schmaltz.”  
            Serena smiles and looks at the Battalion. “Thanks for all your help. Is there any way I can repay you?”

            “Heroes don’t need payment,” Dib says theatrically.

            “Screw that,” Zim scoffs, “we deserve something.”

            “Aren’t you rich?” Pepito asks, “how about actual pay?”  
            “She was cut off, you idiot,” Gaz snaps, “remember?”

            “She can just owe us a favour,” Squee suggests.

            “Fine,” Zim groans, “I guess that’ll work.”  
            Serena smiles. “Okay, deal.”  
            The kids smile, satisfied.

            “Serena!” Sickness cheers, “wait until you see our van! It looks so good!”

            “Oh, yeah. You guys said Mussolini tried to destroy it,” Serena points out.

            “Yeah, but we saved it and the alien kid fixed it up for us,” Reverend Meat says.

            “‘Fixed it up’ is kind of an understatement,” Zim mutters.

            “Come on, come on,” Eff says excitedly as they pull her away.

            “Alright,” she chuckles and waves goodbye. “I’ll call you later, Jeff.”  
            Jeff waves after her as they hop onto a nearby building and leap away. Then he looks at the Battalion. They stare back at him. There’s a heavy awkwardness in the air.

            “Um…can I get a ride home?” Jeff asks.

            “We’re all walking to Zim’s,” Dib points out.

            “Oh.”


	103. Fanatics 62

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Devi has problems sleeping.

Sleepwalking

 

            ‘It’s coming. I have to get away.’

            ‘It’s getting closer.’

            ‘I need to get away.’

            ‘It’s here!’

           

            Devi’s eyes fly open as she pants heavily, like she just ran a marathon. She’s sitting on the floor of her apartment against the front door. She looks around with confusion, wondering how she got there, when she feels a dull pain in her right hand. It’s got a death grip on the doorknob. She peels her fingers off and flexes them a bit, trying to get the blood flowing again.

            She rubs her hand as she stands up and goes back to bed. This is the fifth time this month she’s woken up by her front door. Maybe she should consider chaining herself to the bed.

           

            Johnny and Squee watch late night talk shows in the dark living room, Nugget fast asleep between them. Squee’s eyelids are drooping. He yawns and stretches, thinking he should probably go to bed. But as he stands up, the front door flies open, startling everyone.

            “Evening, boys,” Tenna greets as she and Devi walk in, carrying overnight bags.

            “Jeez,” Johnny groans as he rips a frightened Nugget off his chest. “What do I have to do, post business hours?”

            “I know it’s late, but we need a favour,” Devi says.

            “Forget it,” he scoffs.

            “What’s the favour?” Squee asks.

            “Termites were just discovered in one of the upper rooms so now our whole building has to be fumigated,” she explains, “it’s gonna take all night so...”

            “Can we sleep here?” Tenna asks.

            “No,” Johnny says bluntly.

            “Yes,” Squee interjects.

            “Squee!”

            “Nny.”  
            “Ugh!” Johnny scoffs with disgust before stomping off into the basement.

            “Thanks, Squee,” Devi says as they rest their bags on the floor. “We’ll just sleep in here.”

            “It’s no problem,” Squee says as he stands up, carrying Nugget and Shmee. “I’m gonna go to bed but you guys can make yourselves at home.”

            “We always do,” Tenna chimes.

            They wish Squee a good night as he walks away. Then they lay down some blankets and pillows on the floor and tuck in.

            Devi is restless, worried about her current sleeping problem. But she manages to fall asleep within a couple hours.

            A few hours after midnight, Johnny comes out of the basement. As he closes the door behind him, he notices Devi standing in the middle of the living room. He cocks his head and approaches.

            “What are you doing?” he asks, “can’t sleep?”

            She doesn’t respond, just stands there eerily in the shadows.

            “Hey?” he questions, “you alright?”

            “It’s coming,” she says in a quiet voice.

            “What’s coming?”

            She doesn’t answer and instead marches straight for the door.

            “Hey!” Johnny calls after her. She ignores him as she opens the door and walks out.

            “Hey,” he says again as he catches up to her. Her eyes are half-closed and glazed over, like she’s not really focusing on anything.

            “Are you sleepwalking?” he asks.

            “It’s coming,” she says again.

            “Okay,” he groans and grabs her shoulders, stopping her in her tracks. He gently turns her around and leads her back to the house. She follows robotically. “Let’s get you back to bed, you fucking nutcase.”

            He lies her down on her makeshift bed and tucks her in. She closes her eyes as he pulls the covers over her. Then he stands up, groaning with annoyance.

            “What’s going on?”

            Johnny nearly jumps out of his skin and spins around. Squee is standing just outside the hallway in his pyjamas, rubbing his sleepy eyes while Shmee hangs from his arm.

            “Nothing, Squee,” Nny sighs, “go back to bed.”

            Squee glances behind him and points. “Where’s Devi?”

            “What?” he questions and spins around. Devi’s bed is empty and the front door is wide open.

            “Fuck!” he barks and races to the door. He spots Devi about halfway down the street, walking briskly.

            “Wait here,” Johnny orders to Squee before racing after her.

            Devi may just be walking but she takes turns so sharply and suddenly, that Johnny has a surprisingly hard time catching her. But he finally catches up in an alley a couple blocks away. He grabs her, stopping her in her tracks.

            “Fuck, what the hell is your deal,” he pants.

            “It’s coming,” she says.

            “It’s just a dream,” he insists.

            “It’s coming.”

            “Come on, let’s get-.”

            “It’s here!”

            She shrieks as she grabs Johnny by the front of his shirt and slams him into a nearby wall. He gasps with pain and surprise and looks at her bewildered.

            Devi’s face quickly lights up with consciousness as she blinks awake. She looks at Johnny with confusion.

            “Johnny, what the hell are you doing?” she asks.

            “That’s my line!” he barks.

            “What’s going on?”

            They nearly jump out of the skin and spin around. Squee is standing at the entrance of the alley, a sweater over his pyjamas and Shmee clutched to his chest.

            “Didn’t I tell you to stay at the house?” Johnny questions with annoyance.

            Squee just shrugs.

            “How did we get here?” Devi asks as she looks around.

            “You were sleepwalking,” Johnny replies.

            “Oh,” she mutters and looks away. “Fuck.”

            “Sleepwalking?” Squee questions, “have you ever done that before?”           

            “Let’s uh not talk about this here,” Devi says as she walks back to the road.

            Johnny and Squee look around the dark alley before nodding agreeably and following her.

            They arrive back at the house. Tenna is still fast asleep on the floor, snoring loudly. They ignore her as they sit on the couch.

            Devi explains that for the last few weeks she’s been waking up by her front door.

           “It’s not every night, thankfully,” she says, “but I’ve never actually left my apartment before. I wonder why I left here.”

            “We don’t lock our door,” Johnny says.

            “You don’t?” she questions then nods understandably. “Yeah, I guess somebody would have to be pretty stupid to break into this house.”

            “Do you have any idea why this is happening?” Squee asks.

            “I don’t know,” she shrugs, “but every night it happens, I always have this nightmare. I’m being chased by…something, I don’t know what. But I’m hell bent on getting away from it.”

            “When you were sleepwalking, you kept saying, ‘it’s coming’,” Johnny says.

            “Yeah, that keeps going through my mind,” she nods, “but I don’t even know what ‘it’ is.”

            Squee rubs his chin, deep in contemplation. Then he clears his throat awkwardly. “Um, Devi? Would you say this started happening after you were possessed by Ada?”

            Devi blinks with surprise then considers it. “Yeah…yeah, actually I think you’re right. Do you think this could be like a side effect or something?”

            “Well, not only were you possessed but you fought for control of your body back,” Squee points out, “that had to be like incredibly traumatizing. I’m sure your mind sustained some damage.”

             “So what can I do?” she asks.

            “In the morning we’ll go see someone,” he replies, “he’ll be able to help us.”  
            Early morning, Johnny drives Squee, Devi, and a sleepy Tenna across the city to the Membrane house. They get out and walk up to the front door.

            “Shouldn’t we be seeing some sort of professional?” Devi asks as Squee rings the doorbell.

            “Dib is the most professional,” Squee says, “you know, without having any sort of credentials and stuff.”

            Dib opens the door after a few minutes. His scythe lock is unkempt and he’s wearing fuzzy pants covered with cartoon ghosts and an old, gray t-shirt.

            “Hey, Dib,” Squee says apologetically, “sorry, I know it’s early.”

            “It’s alright,” he shrugs as he invites everyone inside. “Follow me to my bedroom. But please be quiet, we don’t wanna wake Gaz.”

            They follow him upstairs and into his room.

            “Make yourselves comfortable,” he says as he closes the door. They squeeze together on his small bed.

            Dib runs his hand over his scythe lock, smoothing it out, and throws on his trench coat. Then he hops into his computer chair and faces them.

            “So, Devi,” he says, “Squee sent me a message saying you’re sleepwalking and experiencing nightmares. He thinks this might be a side effect of your recent possession.”

            “Uh, yes,” Devi nods.

            “Well, not to worry,” Dib chimes, “if this is some lingering effect from the spirit, I’ll be able to tell.”

            “Now I’ve being doing research on spiritual possessions and the after effects on survivors for years,” he explains, “and one common effect is increased brain activity, or a sixth sense as Squee calls it. Basically this means you can see and/or hear things that most people cannot, i.e. ghosts.”

            “But I haven’t been seeing anything new,” Devi points out.

            “As far as you know,” Dib argues, “but I’ve read stories where people think their lives are normal but they’re just unconsciously blocking these new things from their mind. They may see them but they don’t perceive them. And if that’s the case for you, then the nightmares and sleepwalking would be a logical release for your stressed out mind.”

            “Alright,” Devi nods, “but how do would we know for sure?”

            “Easy. You just need a brain scan.”

            “Okay. So are we gonna have to go to a hospital?”

            “Pfft,” Dib scoffs as he reaches into a drawer on his computer desk. “Hospitals.”

            He pulls out three long cords that combine into one and at the end of each cord is a suction cup.

            “Wa-wa-wait!” Tenna says quickly, “you’re gonna perform the brain scan?”

            “Oh, sure,” Dib shrugs as he plugs the other end of the cord into his computer. “It’s easy. I do it on myself all the time.”

            Devi and Tenna look at Squee incredulously. Squee just shrugs.

             “Okay, Devi, please come forward,” Dib commands.

            Devi squeezes past everyone and sits on the edge of the bed. Dib sticks the suction cups to her head, one on each temple and the third in the middle of her forehead.

            “Now you might feel a slight stinging sensation,” he warns as he turns to his computer. “But don’t worry, it’s completely normal. Ah, but if it starts burning, let me know.”

            He types rapidly on the keyboard and Devi flinches as low hum sounds from the cords. Squee hops off the bed and leans over Dib’s shoulder to get a look at the screen.

            “Now this is fascinating,” Dib comments and points at the screen. It shows a rectangular box containing a line like one that would be displayed on a heart monitor. It’s going up and down at seemingly random intervals. Sometimes it’ll stay low for a second before immediately leaping up high and going back down.

            “It’s so…erratic,” Squee comments.

            “Yes,” Dib nods, “see, most people have their brain activity lower down. And then somebody like you has theirs higher up. But it’s like Devi’s can’t decide what to do. It won’t stabilize.”  
            “No wonder she’s such a nut job,” Johnny comments.

            “Like you’re one to talk,” Devi snaps.

            “So what should she do?” Squee asks.

            “Hm,” Dib muses and rubs his chin.

            “Is it possible that this thing in her nightmare is real and perhaps the result of this?” Squee asks, “do you think…could it be Ada?”  
            “It can’t be Ada,” Dib replies, “she’s locked up tight with no way of escaping. However, this thing in her nightmare could very well be the cause of this instability. Perhaps it’s something her new sixth sense is trying to perceive but her mind won’t allow it.”  
            “So what do we do?” Squee asks.

            “We have to figure out what it is and stop it,” Dib declares.

            “How?” Devi asks, “I’ve never noticed it when I’m awake.”  
            “Then we’ll wait until you’re asleep,” he replies, “and when you start to run from it, we’ll find it.”

            “Who’s ‘we’?” Johnny asks.

           “Our Battalion, of course,” Dib states proudly as he jumps to his feet. Then he grins at Squee.

            He rolls his eyes and smiles wearily. “Aw, alright.”  
            Later that night, Devi lies down on Johnny’s couch to try to get some sleep. But she looks awkwardly at the coffee table, which is crowded by Zim, Dib, Gaz, Pepito, Squee, Johnny, and Tenna.

            “You know, I don’t even have the nightmares every night,” Devi points out.

            “That’s okay. We’ll wait as long as it takes,” Dib says confidently.

            “We can’t wait too long. We have Skool on Monday,” Gaz says.

            “You just go to sleep so we can get this started,” Zim orders.

            “I’ll try,” Devi says, “but with all this pressure I’m not sure if I’ll be able to.

            A couple hours later, Devi is passed right out, her face pressed into a pillow as she snores lightly. The same can be said for Nny, Tenna, and the kids as they all snooze with their heads resting on the table.

            Devi suddenly stands up. She hovers there for a second before lumbering towards the door.

            Johnny is the first to wake up and notice her. He nudges Squee as he jumps to his feet. “She’s up, she’s moving!”

            “Wha-huh?” everyone mumbles sleepily as they blink awake. Then they see Devi hobbling out the door and slowly but steadily stumble into action.

            “Okay,” Dib croaks as he rubs his sleepy eyes. “We’ll follow her for a little bit and then we’ll stop her and see if whatever is chasing her catches up.”

            “What if it’s nothing?” Pepito asks, “what if this really is all just stress?”

            “Then we go back to bed,” Gaz grumbles.

            They all jog after the fast walking Devi for about a block before she turns into a dark alley.

            “Stop her now!” Zim orders.

            Johnny and Tenna quickly grab her shoulders and stop her abruptly.

            “It’s close,” she mumbles sleepily.

            “Yeah, sure it is,” Johnny nods.

            “Anybody see anything?” Tenna asks as everyone looks around curiously.

            “Wait…you guys don’t see it?” Pepito asks.

            Everyone looks back at him. He and Squee are staring at the roofs of the nearby buildings, absolutely horrified. But when the others look, they don’t see anything.

            “What is it?” Dib ask.

            “I don’t know,” Pepito replies while Squee remains petrified. “But we gotta get the hell out of here!”  
            He grabs Squee and pulls him away as he books it down the street. The others call after him before following, Johnny and Tenna pulling the still sleeping Devi with them.

            Pepito and Squee run well ahead of the pack, everyone else struggling to catch up. Just when they start to reach them, they stop abruptly, causing everyone to nearly crash into them.

            They look at the pair curiously. They’re both frozen in fear, holding onto each other and trembling because of whatever they’re looking at it. It’s probably good the others can’t see it, because then they’d be terrified too.

            It’s a giant monster with a head the size of a truck and five narrowed black eyes and a wide snout with a mouth filled with large, sharp fangs. It’s got a long, serpentine body that’s almost twenty feet long with over fifty short but wide legs with sharp claws.

            It’s soulless eyes glare at Pepito and Squee and they stare back, petrified and unable to look away.

            “You can see me,” it says, its voice seemingly radiating from all around them. “Can’t you?”

            The pair flinches as it licks its lips with a long, sharp tongue. “You smell delicious.”

            “Guys?” Zim questions.

            They don’t answer; just watch in horror as the monster steps towards them, opening its gigantic mouth.

            “Squee!” Shmee barks.

            “Shmee!” he cries.

            The bear immediately leaps to life, flying out of his arms and towards the monster. He uppercuts its jaw, knocking it back with his incredible, teddy bear strength.

            The others gasp with surprise. They can’t see what he’s fighting, but it’s still pretty impressive seeing a teddy bear punch the air.

            Shmee lands on the road and immediately leaps back up. He flips through the air and drop kicks the monster in the face. It roars in pain and annoyance as it stumbles back.

            It steadies itself and hisses angrily before charging on its many legs. Shmee meets it head on and punches its nose, crushing its snout like an accordion. It shrieks in pain, throwing its head in the air.

            “Alright!” Pepito cheers.

            The monster glares at him and snarls.

            “Uh oh,” he whimpers.

            It roars and charges him. Squee grabs him and they stumble out of the way. Then Shmee leaps at it and punches its side, knocking it off track.

            The monster struggles to regain its balance and snarls. Before Shmee can get away, one of its claws grabs him, squeezing him tight. He squeaks with surprise.

            “Hey!” Squee snaps, offended. He reaches into his bag and pulls out a Smiley Bomb while Pepito grabs his guitar from off his back. Squee pulls the pin and throws the bomb while Pepito swings his guitar, unleashing a wave of black energy that sends the bomb flying at high speed.

            It explodes as it hits the demon’s side. It shrieks in pain while Shmee leaps out of the smoke, unharmed. He lands on Squee’s head and they watch the monster cautiously.

            The smoke clears as it steadies itself. Its skin looks a little singed but other than that, it’s unharmed. It whips its head at Shmee and the boys and snarls.

            “Can nothing stop this thing?” Pepito snaps.

            “Can we help?” Dib asks.

            “No!” Pepito and Squee bark simultaneously.

            “Just stay back,” Squee adds.    

            “That’s it,” Shmee growls, “I didn’t wanna have to do this, but it looks like I can’t hold back anymore.”

            “What?” Squee questions.

            Shmee starts to kneel like he’s gonna jump but freezes when the monster lunges at them.

            “Move!” Shmee orders.

            Squee dives into Pepito, knocking them both out of the way while Shmee leaps in the opposite direction. The monster smashes into the wall between them.

            Zim and the others all gasp as rubble and dust blow in all directions.

            “We’ve gotta do something,” Zim growls.

            “But we can’t even see this thing,” Gaz points out.

            Pepito and Squee sit up as the monster pulls itself out of the wall. They freeze as it looks at them and snarls.    

            It lunges at them. They’re too close to dodge.

            “Squee!” Shmee shouts.

            Pepito and Squee scream fearfully and cover their faces as the giant fangs close in on them.

            Devi suddenly wakes up with a gasp and the monster disappears into thin air.

            “What happened?” Squee asks breathlessly as he looks around.

            “I don’t know but I think we’re…not dead,” Pepito replies with relief.

            “Hey! What’s going on?” Tenna asks.

            “Uh the monster’s gone,” Squee replies questionably as they stand up.

            “What? Just like that?” Zim asks as they run over to them.

            “Apparently,” he shrugs.

            “But why? How?” Dib asks.

            “What’s going on?” Devi asks sleepily.

            They look at her with surprise.

            “Did you just wake up?” Johnny asks.

            “Yeah,” she replies as she rubs her eyes. “Did the experiment work?”

            “I…I guess…?” Dib questions.

          “Wait, wait, hold on,” Pepito says quickly, “did the monster disappear just as Devi woke up?”  
            “Oh, okay. I know what this is,” Shmee says as he hops onto Squee’s head. “Devi created that monster in her sleep.”

            “What?” everyone exclaims.

            “Let me explain,” he says, “it would seem that Devi’s connection with a powerful spirit awoke something in her mind that has always been awake in Squee: a connection to other planes of existence or a sixth sense.”

            “But I’ve never seen things like ghosts or whatever,” Devi points out.

            “That’s not all a sixth sense does. It can also materialize things from a plane of existence that only you can perceive: i.e. your imagination.”  
            “So the monster Devi was running from in her dreams was actually created by her?” Dib asks.

            “Exactly,” Shmee nods.

            “But why would she create that?” Pepito asks.

            “Oh, who knows. It could be for any number of reasons,” Shmee shrugs, “perhaps it’s a manifestation of stress.”

            “She does have a lot of stress,” Tenna agrees.

            “In any case, what you have to do, Devi, is use a healthy outlet for releasing your imagination so this kind of thing doesn’t keep happening,” Shmee explains, “fortunately you’re an artist.”

            “Painting,” she says, “is that all I have to do to keep this from happening?”  
            “Perhaps,” he shrugs, “that’s for you to decide. I already have my hands full keeping somebody else’s nightmares at bay.”

            “You mean Squee,” Johnny states.

            Shmee smiles and pats Squee’s head.

            “Wait, wait,” Zim says quickly, “are you saying Squee could create a monster like that too?”

            “Oh, yeah,” Shmee nods, “but fortunately I’m here to make sure that doesn’t happen. Lucky for you all. The monsters Squee dream up would make that one look like a kitten. But it’s not a big deal for me.”

            Everyone shares an uneasy look.

            “Anyway,” Shmee grunts before falling lifeless to everyone’s eyes but Squee’s.

            “Well, that was…interesting,” Dib says.

            “Can we go back to bed now?” Gaz asks.

            “Man, I just wanna sleep right here,” Tenna groans.

            “Dude, same,” Pepito adds.

            “We will spend the rest of the night at Squee’s house,” Zim declares as he starts marching off.

            “You don’t get to decide that!” Johnny snaps.

            Everyone starts walking except for Devi and Squee. She rubs her forehead and sighs exhaustedly.

            “Are you gonna be okay?” Squee asks.

            “Sure,” she shrugs, “I mean now that I think about, the nights I didn’t have the nightmares were after days that I painted something. So I just have to paint every day. That’s not bad.”

            Squee smiles and they start walking after the others.

            “So you have to deal with this kind of thing all the time?” Devi asks.

            “Well, no,” he replies, “Shmee makes it easier. I don’t what I’d do without him.”  
            “You’re lucky to have him,” she smiles and drapes her arm over his shoulder, holding him close. “And I’m lucky to have you. And your weirdo friends too.”  
            Squee laughs as they walk down the dark street. They all head home together, to hopefully get some sleep after such a crazy night.


	104. Fanatics 63.1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The entire city gets abducted by aliens.

Abductions Part One

 

            Space: vast, infinite, dark.

            Within it, planet Earth: a magnificent blue and green marble.

            Suddenly, a massive alien spaceship approaches, Earth in its sights.

            Within the cockpit, a group of aliens pilot the ship with their multitude of tentacles. One of them approaches a pedestal in the middle and taps it, displaying a holographic map of Earth. They garble an order to another alien that quickly hurries over.

            They tap on the map, zooming in on a continent the locals call ‘America’, into a region the locals call ‘California’, settling on a city that not even the locals have a name for. They garble to the first alien. They nod and bark out an order. The other aliens reply affirmatively.

            Within the city, morning has arrived and everyone is waking up and beginning their day. All is normal and quiet as they eat breakfast, get dressed and cleaned up, and prepare for their daily activities.

            Suddenly, a harsh siren sounds throughout the city. Everyone rushes outside or pokes their heads out windows to see what the noise is. Nothing could have prepared them for this.

            The sun has been blotted out and taking up a majority of the sky is a giant spaceship.

            All of a sudden, hundreds of long tubes shoot out from the bottom of the ship, spreading out through the entire city. They smash through windows and doors or just hang over the streets and start sucking people up.

            Everyone screams and cries as they’re pulled away, disappearing up the tube and into the ship. Nobody can fight back. Every person in the city gets abducted.

            Or so they thought.

            Within the ship, an alien officer watches the abduction run smoothly on a screen. They make their equivalent of a smile as they watch the number of people on the surface dwindle and the number of prisoners on the ship rise. Then they notice something odd and call over their captain.

            *All alien dialogue will be translated to English for your convenience.*

            “Captain, we appear to have a problem,” they say.

            “What is it?” the captain asks as they come over.

            “Well, there appears to be a clog in tube 77 Z,” they reply as they point at the screen. It shows a large number of tubes with coloured dots going up. But in one of the tubes, there’s a large cluster of dots stuck near the bottom.

            “How is that possible?” the captain asks.

            In the city, over Grave Road, Johnny digs his unnatural sharp fingers into the surface of the tube. Hanging onto him for dear life is Squee and all of their neighbors: Colton and his family- Mia, Lloyd, and Kay- Amanda and her daughter Emily, and Shane and Sage.

            Johnny lifts his hands, one by one, down the tube. He slowly but surely pulls himself down, dragging everyone with him, and gets closer and closer to the ground.

            Back on the ship, the aliens gasp with bewilderment as the cluster of dots starts moving down the tube instead of up. Nothing should be able to fight against this amount of suction.     

            “Retract the tube!” the captain orders.

            The officer types on a keyboard and the tube starts retracting back into the ship.

            On the surface, Johnny stretches his right hand out of the tube and reaches for the ground. But before he can make, the tube starts lifting up.

            Everyone watches hopelessly as the ground slowly moves farther and farther away.        

            Nny look back and meets Squee eyes. They stare at each other worriedly.

            Without warning, Nny suddenly grabs the back of Squee’s shirt with one hand and whips him out of the tube. He lands hard on the ground, away from the suction.

            “Johnny!” Amanda cries, “do Emily too!”

            “And Colton and Kay!” Mia adds, “please!”  
            “Mom, no!” Colton exclaims but it’s too late. Johnny already grabs him and tosses him out, followed by the two young girls. They all bounce on the ground next to Squee.

            “Mommy!” Amanda wails.

            “Mom! Dad!” Colton and Kay cry.

            “Johnny!” Squee exclaims.

            The kids watch hopelessly as their families get pulled out of sight, disappearing into the ship.

            They sit there, dazed for a few minutes. Amanda and Kay both cry while Colton and Squee just stare into the sky. Nobody can say or think anything; they’re all too shocked.

            “Squee,” Shmee hisses.

            Squee looks back and sees something hovering down the street. It looks like a little, round robot with a flashlight on the end of a short tentacle coming out of the top of its head. The flashlight shines around as if it’s searching for something.

            Squee flinches. A drone.

            “We gotta hide,” he orders. He grabs Colton and the girls and shoves them towards his house. They hurry inside and follow Squee through the living room. He throws open the basement door and ushers everyone through. Then he leads them down a ladder, underground, and stops.

            They stand there, panting fearfully, and stare at the ceiling. When nothing happens, Emily and Kay break down again. They fall to their knees, sobbing and crying for their moms.

            “Squee, what’s happening?” Colton asks frantically.

            “I don’t know,” Squee moans worriedly and grips his hair. “It-it looks like an abduction. A city wide abduction."

            “What do we do?”

            “Uh…just a sec.” Squee grabs his cellphone and calls Devi. The call doesn’t go through. He tries Tenna and it also doesn’t go through. Then he tries Pepito, Zim, Dib, and Gaz and none of those go through. Finally he tries the Night Terrors but it still doesn’t go through.

            “Oh no, no, no, no, no,” he whimpers fearfully. “Are they all on the ship? Are we the only ones who made it?”

            His chest starts heaving as he kneels down, panting with panic. “No, no, no, no. What do I do? Shmee?”

            “I…I don’t know,” Shmee admits.

            Squee grips his shirt and breathes heavily. He looks back at Colton, Emily, and Kay. The girls are both still sobbing and Colton looks like he’s trying to hold tears back, as he lightly holds his sister.

Squee blinks back tears and forces his breathing to regulate. He takes a few deep breaths to calm down and stands up.

“I have no choice,” he says, “I’m going to have to help them.”

“What?” Colton exclaims, “by yourself?”

“It’s our only option,” Squee points out, “if I don’t, all of my friends will be abducted and used for who knows what.”

“Uh, what about the rest of the city and potentially the world?”

“Yeah, okay, them too.”  
            “What are you going to do?” Colton asks.

“Whatever I can,” Squee replies, “you guys stay down here. Go upstairs to get food, blankets, or use the bathroom or whatever but don’t stay up their long. I don’t know if those drones will spot you not but you’ll be safe down here.”

“You-you’re gonna get Mommy back?” Emily asks between sniffles.

Squee smiles shakenly. “I’m gonna try.”

With that, he climbs the ladder and proceeds to the house.

He peeks through the basement door and eyes the front windows. When he sees no movement, he scurries across to his bedroom. Keeping low to the floor and out of sight from the window, he grabs his black sweater and bag, throwing them both on.

He stops when he hears a meow and looks back as Nugget crawls out from under the bed.

“Nugget, you’re okay,” Squee smiles and cuddles her. She purrs as she nuzzles his chin.  
            Tucking Nugget under his arm, Squee peeks out his bedroom door and looks at the front windows. Again he sees no movement, so he hurries over to Johnny’s bedroom, closing the door behind him.

“What do you need in here?” Shmee asks.

“I saw something in here once that might be useful and kind of cool,” Squee replies as he opens the drawers on Johnny’s vanity. He sees mostly knives, small axes, and other bladed weapons, but in the bottom drawer that has some clothes, he sees a couple of belts. He grabs a short one with two horizontal sheaths that would be the perfect size for large knives.

He wraps the belt around his waist so the sheaths sit on his lower back, then he slips his two knives into them. He examines himself in Johnny’s cracked mirror.

“Hm, cool,” he comments.

“Okay, this is all great and heroic,” Shmee says, “but do you actually have a plan? How are you gonna get up to the ship?”  
            “I’m gonna get to Zim’s,” Squee replies, “he’ll probably have something I can use to fly up there.”  
            “But what if the ship takes off before you can make it? Or even after you make it?”  
            “I’ll have that covered too,” he says as he grabs a notebook, pen, and lighter from his bag. He scribbles out a note then burns it.

“Nugget, get in,” Squee orders as he holds open his bag. Nugget lies inside, poking her head out. Squee then hangs the strap across his chest and rests Shmee on his head.

He hurries out of Johnny’s room to the backdoor and slips outside. He trots past the lumpy graves to the fence surrounding the backyard and pushes on a loose board. He slides through the opening and out into the back alley.   

Squee looks around nervously as he hustles down the alley. He squeaks as he reaches the main road and spots a drone hovering by, shining its light around. He ducks behind a garbage can, barely out of the drone’s sight.

“How are we gonna get to Zim’s with those things flying around?” Shmee asks.

“I uh guess we’ll have to take a different route,” Squee replies.

He waits until the drone is gone then runs out onto the road. He checks to see if the coast is clear then dashes to a nearby manhole. He draws one of his knives, sticks it in under the manhole cover, and pries it open. Then he jumps through the opening, letting the cover close after him.

He lands with a grunt in deep darkness. He turns on the flashlight on his phone and shines it around.

They’re in a large, dirt tunnel that extends forward and backward, disappearing into pitch blackness. Unidentifiable noises can be heard echoing in the distance. Squee swallows hard and pants nervously.

“The underground labyrinth?” Shmee questions, “are you sure? You know the rumours about this place. We could get stuck down here for eternity, just like many others have.”  
            “I know,” Squee nods, “but it’ll take us forever to reach Zim’s if we have to keep hiding from those drones. At least this way we can move freely… uh hopefully.”

“Alright. Well, I’ll protect you from any evil down here at least,” Shmee says.

“I know.”

            He starts walking, nervously but purposefully, his flashlight breaking up the seemingly endless darkness.

            Up in the spaceship, Mr. Fuck, Psycho Doughboy, Sickness, and Reverend Meat look around curiously. Aron and Serena are with them, equally confused and a little frightened.

            They’re in some sort of large, metal room surrounded by hundreds of people. They’re all packed in here like sardines; there’s barely any room to move.

            Aron starts breathing heavily and kneels down. “I’m starting to get claustrophobic. Where are we?”

            “Have we been abducted by aliens?” D-boy asks.

            “How cool is that?” Eff exclaims excitedly.

            “You won’t be thinking that when these aliens start probing us,” Serena points out.

            “He probably will actually,” Reverend Meat argues.

            “What do we do?” Sickness asks.

            Before anyone can answer her question, the Doughboys blink with surprise and take off their hats. They each pull out a similar piece of singed paper.

            “Looks like our Little Boss can answer that question,” Eff says and begins to read from the paper. “Find my friends. Keep the ship from taking off.”  
            “Find his friends but not him? Reverend Meat questions.

            “Maybe he’s with his friends,” D-boy suggests.

            “In any case, how are we supposed to find them in this sea of bodies?” Sickness asks.

            “I got an idea,” Eff declares, “Reverend Meat, kneel down.”  
            “Alright,” he nods and takes a knee.

            “Now, Psycho Doughboy, get on his shoulders,” Eff orders.

            D-boy obeys, somewhat hesitantly, and sits on Reverend Meat shoulders.

            “Now hold still.” Eff leaps into the air, does a front flip, and lands perfectly on D-boy’s shoulders.

            Sickness, Serena, and other nearby people clap with admiration.

            “Oh, thank you,” Eff says and bows.

            “Why do you get to be on top?” D-boy asks.

            “Because it was my idea,” Eff replies, “now, Reverend Meat, stand up.”

            He does. The Doughboys sway slightly but manage to hold it together until he’s upright. Eff’s head nearly touches the ceiling.

            “Do you see them?” Reverend Meat asks.

            “No,” Eff replies, “but I don’t have to because they’ll see me.”

            Throughout the room, jammed into this large crowd, everyone who recognizes Eff sees him immediately, poking out of the horde like a lighthouse. Johnny quickly leaves his neighbors behind and starts shoving his way through towards him. Devi and Tenna, who were abducted together along with everyone else in their building, do the same.

            When Zim spots him, he blinks curiously. “That’s one of Squee’s minions. Skoodge, come on.”  
            “Zim, wait,” Skoodge squeaks as he tries to squeeze through people’s legs. Everybody just ignores him.

            Zim sighs, picks him, and tucks him under his arm before marching through the crowd.

            Dib and Gaz were abducted with their dad. Dib’s spent the last couple minutes trying to convince Professor Membrane that they’ve been abducted by aliens.

            “Now, now, son,” Membrane says dismissively, “that can’t be true. Aliens aren’t real.”

            “Then how do you explain this?” Dib asks.

            “Perhaps it’s just a mass hallucination caused by a gas leak,” he suggests.

            “Oh, a gas leak. That’s a relief,” a nearby civilian sighs.

            All of the surrounding people nod and murmur with relief. Dib glares at them with annoyance.

            “Dib,” Gaz whispers and points at Eff. They share a look and look back at their dad. He’s so busy talking to the civilians that he hasn’t even noticed, so they slip into the crowd.

            When Pepito spots Eff, he smiles excitedly, “the Doughboys!” Then he looks questionably at his mom.

            She smiles and pats his head. “I’ll be okay. Go help your friends.”  
            She kisses his forehead. Pepito smiles before rushing off into the crowd.

            Everyone arrives at the Night Terrors location at nearly the same time. They all look at each other with a mix of surprise and relief.

            “Ha! I knew that would work,” Eff cheers before flipping off D-boy. Then D-boy hops off Reverend Meat.

            “But where’s Squee?” Sickness asks.

            “He’s not with you guys?” Pepito questions.

            “Squee’s not here,” Johnny says, “I got him out of the tube just before we got pulled up. He’s safe on the surface.”

            “Oh, good,” Devi sighs with relief. “At least one of us is okay.”

            “But then why’d he send us this order to find you guys and keep the ship from taking off?” Eff asks.

            “Isn’t it obvious?” Zim scoffs, “he’s coming to rescue us.”  
            “You really think so?” Dib asks.

            “Absolutely,” he nods.

            “Alright! Squee to the rescue,” Tenna cheers.          

            “But how will he even get up here?” Gaz asks.

            “He’ll figure it out,” Zim says confidently, “he’s our strategist after all. But in the meantime, we should do what we can to keep these aliens from flying off. After all, we can’t let Squee have all the fun.”  
            “So what do we do?” Pepito asks.

            “First, we gotta bust out,” Zim declares then points at Eff. “Did you see anything that might be a door?”  
            “Uh well I saw a part of the wall that’s a different colour over that way,” Eff replies, pointing off to the right.

            “Perfect. Let’s go, team,” Zim orders, “it’s time for a prison break.”  
            “I’m coming too,” Serena says.

            “No, you stay here,” D-boy orders, “try to keep Aron from completely melting down.”

            They look at their anxiety-ridden friend curled up on the floor, mumbling feverishly about losing all of his work and getting torn apart by aliens.

            “Fine,” Serena groans.

            “Don’t worry. We’ll come back for you,” Sickness promises. Then they all disappear into the crowd.

            Zim leads the way as they push through the sea of people. It takes a few minutes, but they eventually make it to the wall. Eff was right; it’s a lighter grey than the rest of the wall.

            As they approach, they notice someone else standing there, examining it. It’s Kat, the Irken Tak in her human disguise.

            “Kat!” Pepito chirps, “you’re here too.”

            “Yes. It seems they abducted everyone in the city,” Kat says.

            “Good. We could use all the help we can get,” Gaz says then glares at Zim and Dib. “Right?”

            They mumble in half-hearted agreement.

            “So is this a door?” Johnny asks.

            “It is,” Kat replies, “I detect lifeforms on the other side, that aren’t human.”

            “I don’t suppose it has a knob,” Devi grunts.

            “Looks like it slides into the floor,” Dib says as he examines it. “It can probably only be opened from the other side.”  
            “Alright, stand back,” Reverend Meat orders as he rolls his shoulder. “I’m gonna break it down.”

            He pulls back his large fist and prepares to punch it, when it suddenly slides up.

            Everyone freezes as it opens, revealing two creatures standing on the other side. They’re well over seven feet tall and incredibly thin. They stand on masses of swirling tentacles and have two more tentacles at the top of their torsos. They’re both wearing dark goggles and have short tendrils hanging over their chins where their mouths would be. One is dark yellow with bright yellow spots and is wearing a sort of black onesie with a utility belt while the other is green and is wearing a white onesie with three orange stripes.

            “Our captors,” Kat states.

            “What are they?” Pepito asks, “Zim?”

            Zim doesn’t reply. Just stares at the aliens in shock, along with Dib and Gaz.

            The yellow alien takes something off its utility belt. It’s a small, square device with a red button in the middle and a speaker on each side. It presses the button and the green alien says something in its garbled, alien language. Its words are translated into English through the speakers.

            “Remember us, Earthanoids?”  
            Zim, Dib, and Gaz gasp with surprise. They recognized these aliens as soon as they saw them; it’s hard to forget faces like theirs.

            The Plitletians, Gle’lep and Smugmar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Plitletians first appeared in Chapter 58.


	105. Fanatics 63.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Squee thinks up a way to get to the ship to help free Zim and his friends.

Abductions Part Two

 

            The underground labyrinth is a series of tunnels underneath the city, believed to be shifting and ever-changing. Many brave- or idiotic- explorers have disappeared trying to investigate the mysterious labyrinth, never to be seen again.

            Squee and his friends actually fell into the labyrinth by accident. Somehow they were one of the few who were able to escape, though to this day they have no idea how they did it.

            And now, in order to get across the city to Zim’s, Squee must traverse the labyrinth. It’s risky and dangerous but it’s also the fastest way.

            He walks briskly, squeezing the strap of his bag with one hand and pointing his cellphone’s flashlight ahead with the other. Nugget’s head pokes of his bag, her eyes darting around. Shmee rides on his head, keeping an eye out for danger.

            Noises are echoing off the walls, coming from seemingly out of nowhere. It’s impossible to tell what these noises are and it’s probably better not to think about it.

           Squee tries to ignore the noises with minimal success. They seem to tear into his every nerve, unsettling him even more than he already is, if that’s possible.

            Finally, unable to take it anymore, he stops. He drags his hands down his face, exhaling heavily.

            “Squee?” Shmee questions.

            He doesn’t say anything as he kneels down. He gently lifts Nugget out of his bag and digs around it until he finds what he’s looking for: a pair of big headphones.

            After sticking Nugget back in his bag, he plugs the headphones into his phone and puts them on. He scrolls through his phone for a second before turning on some music.

            The noises are immediately cancelled out. All he hears is the music playing through his headphones. He smiles with relief and continues walking.

            It’s impossible to tell time in the labyrinth, even when you have a clock. The passing minutes or hours seem to make no sense and it’s just stressful to watch. So Squee is careful to not pay too much attention and just focuses on moving.

            Shmee however seems to be getting edgy. After an endless series of twists and turns, he taps Squee’s head to get his attention. He lowers his headphones and looks at him inquisitively.

            “We’ve been down here a while. Do you know where you’re going?” Shmee asks.

            “Not really,” Squee replies.

            “Then how do you know we’re not gonna trapped down here like so many others?”  
            “I don’t know. But Dib and I discussed theories on the underground labyrinth once and we both agree that it’s panic, stress, and hopelessness that leads people to getting lost down here. They think too much and quickly get swallowed up by the darkness.”

            “So the trick is to stay calm?” Shmee questions, “cause that’s not really your forte.”

            “I know. And that’s not the trick at all,” Squee explains, “actually, Dib believes I’m one of the few people who can safely traverse the labyrinth. I’m panicked, stressed, and hopeless 24/7. The only way the darkness can swallow me is through fear and you’re here for that.”

            Shmee cocks his head. “You’re oddly confident.”  
            “Not in myself.”

            Squee keeps moving, taking turns without thinking about them and ignoring the endless echoes with his music. Nobody can say how long he’s been down there but after what seems like a long time he spots something interesting: small cracks of light streaming in from the ceiling. It could’ve been easily missed but he spotted it.

            “That’s it,” he says as he lowers his headphones.

            “How are you gonna get up there?” Shmee asks.

            “Um…” Squee mutters as he stares at the ceiling that’s three feet over his head. He stretches his arms up to reach it but his fingers barely brush against the surface.

            “If you jump up there, could you pull me up?” he asks.

            “Probably,” Shmee replies.

            “Okay, then go ahead,” Squee commands.

            Shmee leaps into this plane of existence while leaping into the air. He grabs onto the ceiling and hangs upside down. He kicks the manhole cover, flipping it open, then he flips through it.

            “Come on,” he orders as he hangs through the manhole, stretching his little arm to Squee. “Jump.”  
            Squee hops up and grabs Shmee’s arm. Against all laws of physics, Shmee holds him in the air and pulls him up. Squee grabs the edge of the manhole with his other hand and scrambles onto the surface.

          He lies down on the road and wearily punches the air. “Alright, we did it. You okay, Nugget?”  
            The cat mews as she crawls out of his bag and stretches.

            Squee sits up and looks around. The spaceship is still hovering menacingly in the sky. Thankfully he doesn’t see any drones flying around so he has a moment to relax.

            “So where are we?” Shmee asks as he hops back onto Squee’s head.

            “Where we need to be,” Squee replies.

            Down the street he sees the cul-de-sac that holds Zim’s bright pink house.

            “Wow,” Shmee breathes in awe.

            “Come on, Nugget,” Squee orders.

           He jogs down the road, Nugget at his heels. They don’t stop until they’re at Zim’s front door, and Squee bursts through.

            “Hello?” he calls out as he walks through the living room.

            There’s no answer, his voice echoing throughout the eerily empty house.

            And then, all of sudden he senses danger and instinctively ducks down.

            “Squeegee!” Gir squeals as he sails over his head and smashes into a wall.

            “Oh, Gir!” Squee exclaims and races over to him. “Sorry, sorry.”

            He peels him off the wall and holds him out. Gir smiles brightly, like he didn’t just face plant into a wall, and sticks his arms out.

            “Hug!” he sings.

            Squee smiles and holds him to his chest. Gir squeals happily and hugs him tight.

            Squee looks back as Minimoose hovers up to him, squeaking.

            “Gir and Minimoose,” he smiles, “you two didn’t get abducted. You probably don’t appear on their sensors.”

            “This is great!” he cheers and squeezes Gir. “With your help, we can definitely get up to that ship.”  
            Gir wiggles out of Squee’s arms and hops onto the couch, standing on the arm. “Masta and Squishy got sucked into the sky like zoom!”

            “Gir, listen to me,” Squee orders and cups his face. “Zim and Skoodge were abducted, along with everyone else in the city. They’re in danger. We have to rescue them.”  
            “Oooooooh,” Gir coos.

            “You don’t understand do you?” Squee questions wearily.

            “Yes!” he replies, “wait…no.”

            Squee sighs and hangs his head. He steps back and rubs his neck.

            “What now?” Shmee asks.

            “Same plan,” Squee replies as he tucks Nugget back into his bag. “We just gotta go with a different tact.”

            “Gir,” he says loudly, “there’s a big ship in a sky. A great big ship. Doesn’t that sound fun?”  
            “Yeah,” Gir cheers.

            “Don’t you wanna check it out?”  
            “Yeah!”

            “Then let’s fly up there!”

            “Yeah!”

            Gir’s rockets activate and he flies up behind Squee.

            “Wa-wait, wait right now? Just like that?” Squee says frantically as Gir wraps his arms under Squee’s shoulders. “Ah-okay, just-just be gentle! Don’t forget Minimoose!”

            Squee grabs Minimoose at the last second as Gir’s rockets blast off. They shoot out of the front door and straight up to the sky. Gir laughs raucously while Shmee grips Squee’s hair and Squee clutches his bag and Minimoose to his chest and tries not to scream. They fly up into the sky like zoom!

            Meanwhile up in the ship, Zim, Dib, and Gaz stare at their alien captors in bewilderment. They remember these two: the Plitletians, Smugmar and Gle’lep.

            “You remember us, Earthanoids?” Gle’lep asks, his alien language sounding English through his translator.

            “Zim, you know these two?” Kat asks.

            “Your comrades here destroyed our ship!” Smugmar snaps.

            “You two tried to destroy our world!” Dib retorts, “I think it’s a fair trade.”

            “What?” Pepito exclaims, “wait, are these the aliens you told me about that you guys tussled with last summer?”

            “Yes,” Gaz replies.

            “You destroyed our ship,” Gle’lep says darkly, “we warned you we’d be back for revenge. And here we are.”

            “So this is your fault,” Kat bark at Zim.

            “We saved the Earth!” he snaps, “you should be thanking us.”

            “If they destroyed your ship, why get us involved?” Johnny asks the aliens.

            “Vengeance!” Gle’lep snaps, clenching his tentacle. “We have abducted your whole living area and we are gonna turn all the residents- you included- into slaves on our planet. And we will still destroy the Earth.”

            “I won’t let you,” Zim hisses and releases his spider legs.

            “Smugmar,” Gle’lep orders.

            Smugmar grabs a remote from his belt and presses a button. Four large ray guns extend from each corner in the room, pointing menacingly at all the prisoners. They all start shouting with worry and fear.

            “One wrong move,” Gle’lep warns, “and we will destroy all of you with the push of a button.”  
            Zim snarls at him and begrudgingly retracts his spider legs.

            “Now, you will all stay put like good prisoners while we destroy your planet,” Gle’lep grins brightly while Smugmar laughs. Zim and the others glare at them angrily.

            Suddenly, an alarm starts going off and an alien word gets repeated through an intercom.

            “Intruder?” Gle’lep questions then glares at Zim curiously.

            “Don’t look at me,” he shrugs.

           Gle’lep eyes him a second longer before turning away and motioning for Smugmar to follow. “Let’s go.”  
            Smugmar turns off the translator and turns to follow just as the door slides close.

            Zim smirks. “Squee’s made it.”

            “We have to help him,” Pepito says.

            “But how? If we make any sort of wrong move, those guns will go off,” Dib points out.

            “Leave them to us,” Reverend Meat declares, smirking.

            “Four guns, four of us,” Sickness says, “if we each destroy one at the same time, there’ll be no danger.”  
            “Okay, everyone get to a corner,” Eff orders.

            The Night Terrors split up. Sickness and Reverend Meat each go to the nearest corners while the Doughboys leap over and flip around the crowd to the farthest corners. They all hop up to the guns, holding onto the arm sticking out of the wall and out of sight of the barrel.

            The Doughboys each pull out a weapon from their hats- Eff, a short broadsword and D-boy a bat- and nod at Reverend Meat. He counts down on his fingers, 3…2…1.

            Sickness flips around and kicks with her powerful legs. Reverend Meat swings his powerful fists. D-boy smashes with his bat and Eff slices with his sword.

            They all destroy the guns quickly and effectively. Once finished, they leap off the wall and hurry back to the others.

            “Nice work,” Tenna chimes.

            “Here,” D-boy grunts as he hands Gaz the bat.

            “Sweet,” she grins.

            “Alright, all immediate threats are terminated,” Zim says as he turns back to the door, smirking. “Let’s start a prison break.”


	106. Fanatics 63.3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zim and the others break out of prison. Meanwhile Squee and his little crew make their way through the ship.

Abductions Part Three

 

            The Plitletians scurry around the cockpit of their ship, attempting to figure out who or what set off the alarm. They’re in a panic, preparing weapons and other emergency protocols. What could have possibly blown a hole through the underside of their ship?  
            “What is it?” Captain Zul’ut demands as he marches through the room.

            “I don’t know, sir,” one of the officers replies as he stares at a large screen. It shows footage from the cameras positioned throughout the ship, but slowly one by one each camera is being taken out. “It’s destroying all of our security cameras on the first floor!”

            The captain looks at the footage. The cameras from 33a to 39t have all been taken out. He watches as more cameras are taken out: 39u, 39v, 39w.

            “It’s making its way through the halls, destroying each camera as it enters,” Zul’ut observes. “We need to cut it off. Get to hall 40a and prepare to kill on sight! Also put a pair of guards at the prison door.”

            A group of guards salutes and hurries out of the door.

            Zul’ut looks back at the security footage and growls uncertainly. He may be able to follow along to the destruction of the cameras, but he can’t catch what’s destroying them.

            “Prepare Yexultex.”

            “Sir?” the officer questions.

            “We need to be ready for the worst scenario,” Zul’ut orders.

            “Yes, sir,” he nods before whispering a code into his radio.

            Zul’ut glares at the screen, his mouth tendrils twitching angrily. Whatever the intruder is, it must be a mighty, powerful force of fear. They’ll need everything to stop it.

            Meanwhile, at the prison cell, two guards station themselves at the door. They’re both holding two long staves with their tentacle arms.

            “Why do we have to guard the cell?” one of the guards ask, “if they try anything, the motion censored guns will take them out.”

            “Extra precaution,” the other guard shrugs, “you know how cautious the captain is.”       

            “I think it’s a waste of time,” the first guard groans, “nothing can beat our mothership.” 

            They both jump with surprise at a loud bang coming from the other side of the cell door. There’s a second, this time causing a dent to bulge out towards them. A third, and a large hand bursts through. The Plitletians are too stunned to do anything.

            The hand slips back through the hole and two sets of fingers grabs the edge of the hole and begin ripping it wider, tearing the thick metal like paper.

            The fingers disappear and are replaced by a group of human faces peeking through.

            The guards flinch and jab their staves through the hole. The humans jump back, dodging them. One of the staves is grabbed and yanked, pulling the Plitletian off his feet and through the hole. He looks up, face to face with the dark eyed human that’s gripping his staff.

            The human smirks, sending a shiver down the guard’s back.

            He lifts his foot and brings it down onto the Plitletian’s face. He does this a couple times until the poor alien’s face has been completely smashed to a pulp. Then he shoves him back through the hole.

            The second guard cries out with dismay at the sight of his partner. He glares angrily as a human climbs through the hole, his boot covered in dark purple blood and the staff in his hand.

            The guard does something akin to snarling and whips his staff at the human. He grabs it, stopping it with ease, then jabs his stolen staff into the Plitletian’s face. He continuously does this until it’s been completely driven through the alien’s head. He slumps to the floor, next to his partner.       

            Devi scoffs with disgust as she climbs through the hall, joining Johnny in the hallway. “Was all of that really necessary?”

            “Oh, you’re right, I’m sorry,” Johnny says sarcastically, “I should’ve just asked them to let us go peacefully.”  
            “Well, they’re definitely not gonna do that now,” Tenna says as she joins them.

            “Woo!” Eff cheers as he leaps through the hole. “Prison break!”

            “Alright,” Zim booms as he climbs through, the others following him. “First thing we should do is figure out where the control room is.”

            “What about Squee?” Pepito asks worriedly.

            “Don’t worry so much,” Zim orders, “Squee’s fine, he can take care of himself. He’ll find us. It’s our job to make sure this ship doesn’t take off before he does.”  
            “Or at all,” Dib adds.

            Pepito doesn’t argue, but he still chews his fingernail, unsure.

            “Okay, team,” Zim shouts, “move out.”

            The group jogs down the corridor, away from the prison cell.

            Meanwhile Squee races through the metallic halls at full speed, clutching Minimoose, Nugget, and his bag to his chest while Gir flies ahead. Shmee’s been keeping busy destroying security cameras stuck to the ceiling. He moves so quickly the cameras don’t even catch them.

            They skid to a stop and Squee groans as he looks up at a large door. Mounted to the wall next to it is something that might be a scanner.

            “Another door,” he whines, “we’re getting nowhere. How are we ever gonna find them?”

            “Just keep moving,” Shmee orders, “best not run into any enemies.”

            “Don’t need to tell me,” he sighs as they turn back.

            They start to turn a corner when Gir stops abruptly, hovering in midair. Squee skids to a stop beneath him and whimpers.        

            Standing before them, taking up the whole corridor is a group of six tentacle aliens. They gurgle to each other as they stare at Squee.

            “Got a plan?” Shmee asks quietly.

            “Uh,” Squee mutters as the aliens scuttle forward, lifting their tentacle arms. “Yeah.”

            He grabs Gir’s leg, turns tail, and books it down the hall. “Run!”           

            The aliens gurgle with surprise and quickly pursue him.

            Gir cheers with delight as Squee pulls him through the air like a balloon. Shmee rides on his head, keeping an eye on their pursuers.

            “They’re catching up!” Shmee warns. They cover a lot of ground with their tentacles.

            Squee glances over his shoulder. His eyes widen with surprise as the aliens stretch their tentacle arms at him.

            He drops to the floor, ducking beneath their arms, and scurries left into a different hallway. The aliens grip the walls with their tentacles, turning effortlessly after him.

            “Ah, jeez!” Squee cries as he tries to pick up speed. These things are going to catch him in no time!

            Suddenly, Gir yanks his leg out of Squee’s hand and rockets towards the aliens.

            “Gir!” Squee exclaims as he spins around.

            The aliens are completely taken by surprise and Gir high kicks one in the face, knocking them to the ground.

            Shmee chuckles, impressed, before leaping off Squee’s head and tackling another alien. He and Gir keep the two occupied on the floor, while the last four glare at Squee.

            “No choice I guess,” Squee sighs. He rests his bag, Nugget, and Minimoose against the wall. “Stay there.”

            Squee faces off with the aliens, his hands hovering at his sides, ready to draw his knives from his back holster. The aliens glare at him, doing something akin to snarling with their mouth tendrils.

            Simultaneously, they shoot their tentacle arms at him. Squee quickly ducks under them but is taken by surprise when they bend backwards back at him.

            Their tentacles have the flexibility of noodles. They can bend effortlessly in any direction. That makes them hard to dodge, but it does give Squee an idea.

            He hops up, slipping between two tentacles over top of him. As expected, all eight tentacles follow in the exact same direction. He grins and dives to the left side, past all of the other tentacles and closer to the wall. They still follow.

            He races down the corridor towards the aliens and dashes past them. They turn after him, their tentacles still stretching after him.

            Gir’s been wrapped up by his opponent and is being held in the air. Squee dives between the alien’s body and its arm, grabbing Gir and yanking him away as he passes. The other aliens’ tentacles follow suit.

            Shmee is wrestling with his opponent. Squee snakes between the alien’s arms, doing a half-figure 8 as he grabs Shmee and leaps away. The other aliens’ tentacles again do the exact same.

            Finally, Gir and Shmee held safely in his arms, Squee races past the four aliens on their right side. He skids to a stop a few feet away and faces them, narrowing his eyes.

            The aliens turn to face him, stretching their tentacles after him. But as they do so, they tighten around each other and their two floored comrades. They all cry out with surprise as they’re yanked into each other, clattering to the floor in a big, messy pile. Their tentacle legs flail about in shock with their tentacle arms all tangled up.

            Squee smiles as he slips his bag onto his shoulder, Nugget nestled safely inside while Minimoose hovers beside him, Gir hangs off his shoulder, and Shmee rides his head.

            He notices a bunch of stuff spread out on the floor. When the aliens slammed into each other, it must’ve all flew off their utility belts. It looks like a bunch of alien junk, but Squee is able to identify something as a card. Perhaps a key card?

             Squee picks it up and the aliens start shouting at him in their garbled language. It must be something important if they’re this distraught over him taking it.

            Squee grins and pockets it. The aliens shout some more and try to free themselves, but the more they struggle the more tangled up they get.

            “Well, guys,” Squee says as he turns away. “I’d love to stick around but it looks to me like you’re uh all…tied up.”

            Gir immediately bursts into laughter while Shmee groans. Squee smiles and races away from the jumbled mess of aliens.


	107. Fanatics 63.4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zim and the others make steady progress through the ship. Meanwhile Squee runs into a little trouble.

Abductions Part Four

 

            Zim, Dib, Gaz, Pepito, Johnny, Devi, Tenna, the Night Terrors, Skoodge, and Tak- disguised as her human self, Kat- race through the maze of corridors. They don’t worry about keeping quiet or hesitate around corners. They figure they have nothing to be scared of.

            They argue amongst themselves loudly, especially Nny and Devi, as they try to decide which way to go. Things only get worse every time they come to a locked door.

            “Let’s just break through it!” Reverend Meat insists.

            “We can’t set off anymore alarms than we already have,” Dib argues.

            “Yeah, especially not with Squee running around,” Pepito adds.

            “We’ll never get to the control room if we keep turning away from every door we come to,” Johnny points out, “what do you think, we’ll be able to waltz in there like it’s a walk through the park?”

            “Who knows what’s on the other side of these doors?” Devi snaps, “what are we gonna do, smash through every single door?”

            “Yes!” Nny and the Night Terrors bark, exasperated.

           While they argue incessantly, Zim and Kat watch from the sidelines, annoyed and exhausted, Skoodge still tucked under Zim’s arm. They glare at each other from the corner of their eyes.

            “Well, Tak, as much as it sickens me to ask this,” Zim says, “what do you think?”

            She rubs her chin. “On the one hand, we will never get anywhere if we don’t break down some doors. But on the other, if we make any trouble it could cause problems for Squee.”

            “Ha!” Zim scoffs, “you underestimated my team before, Tak. Don’t do it again.”  
            “Huh?” she grunts.

            “Squee’s tough. He can handle himself and whatever problems come his way,” he states as he marches forward. “And we can handle ourselves.”

            “Move!” he orders as his spider legs extend from his PAK. Everybody shuts up and looks at him with surprise. They quickly scamper out of the way as a laser starts powering up at the end of each leg.

            He fires, blasting four holes in the door. It falls apart, opening up the rest of the corridor.

            “Forward!” Zim orders and starts jogging.

            Everyone stares after him for a second before looking at each other. They shrug or sigh before chasing after him.

            They continue racing through the corridors, unhindered by any doors as Zim just blasts their way through. But after a few minutes, they quickly start losing their nerve.

            “Fuck, this place is a maze,” Devi snaps.

            “We’ll never get to the control room racing around like a bunch of headless chickens,” Johnny growls.

            “Well, they don’t have maps posted anywhere,” Dib points out, “have you got a better idea?”  
            Unable to reply, Johnny starts to just snarl, until he hears a sound: a gurgling he quickly recognizes as the voices of the aliens. It’s coming from the other side of the wall behind him; only sounds like two.

            He smirks and nods. “Yeah.”

            On the other side of the wall, Gle’lep and Smugmar hurry down the corridor towards the prison cells, arguing.

            “I knew this was a bad idea,” Gle’lep snaps, “we should’ve executed those meddlesome aliens the second we captured them. But noooooo! You wanted them as slaves.”

            “Because! Execution for revenge is so short-lived,” Smugmar insists, “but if we used them as slaves, we could be satisfied for the rest of our lives.”

            “They’re too good at causing problems,” Gle’lep points out, “I should’ve known they’d break out. Ugh, I don’t know why I listen to you.”

            “Hey, you’re the superior officer. That’s your mistake.”

            Before their argument can continue, something suddenly smashes through the wall to their right, creating a large hole. The pair jump and look at it with surprise.

            Reverend Meat pulls back his large fist as the dust settles, Zim and the others standing behind him. He looks at the alien duo and grins.

            Gle’lep and Smugmar gurgle with surprise. Smugmar starts to reach for something on his belt but Mr. Fuck and Psycho Doughboy leap at them before he can grab anything. They flip around them, quickly and smoothly like wind, grabbing each one of their tentacles. The Plitletians are barely able to comprehend what’s going on before they’re tied up in their own appendages. They both flop to the floor as the Doughboys land on either side of them.

            Zim marches up to them as a small device pops out of his PAK. It’s a small, metal box with speakers on each side and a button on the top. He presses the button.

            “Gle’lep, Smugmar,” he says, “good to see you again.”  
            “You little pests,” Gle’lep snarls, his voice being translated into English through the device. “I should’ve had you all executed when I had the chance.”

            “Yeah, you really should have,” Tenna nods.

            “Too late for that now,” Johnny grunts, “now you’re gonna take us to the control room of this ship.”  
            “Hey! I give the orders around here,” Zim snaps then glares at the Plitletians. “Take us to your control room.”

            “Or what?” Smugmar challenges.

            “Or, we’ll cut off all of your tentacles one by one,” Eff says cheerfully.            “Including the little weird ones on your face,” D-boy adds.

            “You’re bluffing,” Smugmar snarls.

            The Doughboys glance at each other incredulously. Then Eff pulls a machete out of his hat and grabs one of the Smugmar’s tentacles.

            “Oh, jeez,” Dib groans and looks away.

            With one swift swing, Eff slices off Smugmar’s tentacles. Dark purple blood sprays out as he gurgles loudly, his voice getting translated into screams of agony through the speakers.

            “Oh, my stars,” Gle’lep moans as his partner writhes around. “You actually did it.”  
            “Uh, yeah,” D-boy grunts, “we said we would.”  
            He kneels next to Gle’lep, pulling his own knife out of his hat. “What about you? Wanna match?”

            “No, no!” he says quickly, “we’ll take you to the control room.”  
            “Good choice,” Zim nods, “alright, you, big guy.” He points at Reverend Meat. “Carry those two. And somebody patch up Smugmar so he doesn’t bleed to death.”

            “Why can’t we just leave him here?” Johnny asks.

            “Because we might need him for leverage,” Zim replies, “now, let’s get going.”  
            Zim starts marching down the corridor and Dib, Pepito, Gaz, Skoodge, and Kat follow close behind. Johnny, Devi, and Tenna stare after them while the Night Terrors tend to Smugmar- they stick a gauze pad to his injury with some dirty looking tape, both of which the Doughboys pulled out of their hats.

            Johnny glances at Devi, snarling. “Bossy.”

            The girls both chuckle. Reverend Meat carries the Plitletians on his shoulders and they quickly catch up with the kids.

            Meanwhile, Squee jogs through the corridors, Nugget in his bag, Minimoose hovering close beside him, Gir riding on his head, and Shmee perched on his shoulder. They’ve been having a significantly easier time moving around now that they got a key card. It’s unlocked every door they come to. The only problem is, they have no idea where their friends are.         

            “We’re getting nowhere,” Shmee groans.

            “No kidding,” Squee sighs, “Gir, do you have anyway of tracking Zim?”  
            “Ooooh,” Gir coos then says nothing else. Squee and Shmee glare at him incredulously.

            “This robot is useless scrap,” Shmee growls.

            “Shmee,” Squee scolds then rubs his chin with consideration. “Uh, Gir. Do you wanna play…hide and seek?”

            “Oooh, yeah yeah yeah!” he replies excitedly.

            “Okay,” Squee says, “Zim is hiding and we have to find him. Can you find him?”

            “Yes!” he cheers. He leaps off Squee’s head and starts flying down the corridor. Squee exclaims with surprise and chases after him.            

            They race through the halls at top speed, stopping only when Squee has to unlock a door. Gir seems to be flying with a purpose, taking turns confidently. Squee struggles to keep up with him.   

            “Gir, can you slow down a bit?” Squee asks.

            “Ready or not, here I come!” Gir exclaims excitedly, ignoring him.

            They finally stop at another door. Gir jitters impatiently while Squee doubles over panting.

            “Are you okay?” Shmee asks.

            “I’m starting to feel wiped,” Squee replies.   

            “I’ve been in this plane for too long,” Shmee says, “much longer, and I’ll drain all your energy. I should leave it.”

            “In a little bit,” Squee adds, “we still need you to destroy the cameras so we can stay hidden. I can put up with it a bit longer.”

            “Alright,” he nods with slight hesitation.

            Squee takes a deep breath, preparing to run again, and unlocks the door. He starts to take off with Gir but they stop abruptly when they see something odd.

            The hall keeps going straight with another hallway branching to the left a little ways down. Coming out of the left hallway are a mass of large tentacles, wiggling out against the walls.

            More massive tentacles fall out onto the floor with a loud, wet slap. The creature pulls itself out of the adjacent hallway, huffing and gurgling. Squee, Shmee, and Gir watch, stunned and frozen.

            The beast is just a mass of giant tentacles with a small head atop. It has a beak like a squid and no discernable eyes. But when it turns towards Squee, he can feel it looking at him.  

            It snarls as it opens its beak, revealing a long, vertical mouth with rows of needle-like fangs.

            Squee squeaks and closes the door.

            Squee grabs Gir and starts to turn tail when a massive tentacle smashes through the door, inches over his head. He screams as rubble clatters around him and immediately books it.          

            Squee races down the hall, clutching Gir, Minimoose, and Nugget to his chest while Shmee rides on his head. Behind him, the monster smashes through the rest of the door and pursues, its tentacles slamming so hard against the metal walls it leaves dents.

            The thing is so large it can cover way more ground than Squee and catches up quickly. Its large tentacles fall dangerously close to him as it lumbers after him. He squeaks and steps out of the way, narrowly dodging each one.

            He notices a turn branching off to the right. He starts to take it, leaping over a large tentacle as he does so. But it lifts up as he’s in the air, knocking him heels over head. Shmee, Nugget, Gir, and Minimoose along with Squee’s bag clatter down the hall while Squee hits the floor face first.

            “Squee!” Shmee exclaims.

            Squee rubs his face as he looks back at the monster, just in time to see another tentacle dropping towards. He rolls out of the way, barely dodging.

            He tries to scamper away but the beast wraps another tentacle about his right ankle and yanks him back. He claws at the floor, screaming before he’s whipped into the air.

            “No!” Shmee shouts and races towards the monster. Gir quickly follows while Minimoose and Nugget stay put.

            The monster whips Squee through the air towards a wall. Squee reacts quickly, drawing a knife from his back holster and cutting the tentacle around his ankle. The monster immediately lets go and but he was swinging with such velocity that Squee still flies into the wall. He exclaims with pain as he bounces off of it and hits the floor.

            Gasping painfully, Squee wastes no time on the floor and quickly clambers away. Once he’s a couple feet from the monstrous tentacles. He jumps to his feet and faces it.

            Shmee and Gir have it distracted. Gir’s flying around its head like an annoying gnat while Shmee leaps around its tentacles. But they’re not doing any damaging. Not even Shmee’s super strength can damage the pliable tentacles; any punch he throws just bounces right off.

            Squee doubles over as he watches, panting heavily. He feels exhausted and he’s in a lot of pain. He can’t beat this thing, not a chance.

            He glances down the empty hall behind him. He could…run…    

            That thought is pushed from his brain faster than it arrived. No way can he leave Shmee, Nugget, Gir, or Minimoose, not to mention all of his stuff.

            So then…what?  
            He looks at the hall branching to the right. His bag went that way. He has to get to it; if he had his bombs he might stand a chance. But the monster is in the way, its tentacles swirling around the doorway. He would never make it there safely.

            Squee huffs as he draws his other knife. “I just broke into an alien spaceship. Nothing about this is safe.”

            “Shmee, Gir! Move!” he barks. The pair looks at him with surprise.

            He takes a deep breath and races towards the monster. It looks at him and opens its beak with a loud roar.

            It lunges its tentacles at Squee. Instead of stepping out of the way to dodge though, Squee jumps on top of them. He hops from one tentacle to the other, using them as sort of platforms. It’s messy and risky; he receives cuts and scratches from other tentacles that whiz by him. But he ignores the pain and danger and just focuses on moving.

            He makes his way around the monster to the adjacent hallway. Catching onto what he’s doing, Shmee and Gir quickly follow him.

            Once Squee’s just in front of the doorway, he dives off the monster. He hits the floor, sliding on his side. Without stopping, he grabs his bag as he goes by. Nugget and Minimoose quickly join Shmee and Gir in chasing after him.

            The monster roars in frustration and thrusts a throng of tentacles towards Squee. Still sliding but losing speed, Squee quickly digs around in his bag before finding what he wants. He flips onto his knees and starts booking it as he pulls his arms out of his sweater.

            The multitude of tentacles drops over him, slamming hard enough into the floor to create a dent. The monster makes a happy gurgling noise as it makes contact with something. One of the tentacles wrap around it and lift it up.

            It gurgles with surprise. It’s not holding Squee, as it was hoping. Instead it’s just holding his sweater with five active Smiley Bombs hanging from the inside.

            The monster looks farther down the hall and spots Squee racing away, Shmee, Nugget, Gir, and Minimoose at his sides.

            Squee looks back and grins. The monster roars defiantly as the bombs go off.

            The whole ship seems to shake from the force of the explosions. The hallway starts rapidly falling apart. He quickly grabs Nugget and Minimoose as Shmee hops onto his head and Gir comes up behind him, hooking his arms under his shoulders and lifting him into the air.

            Gir flies them out of there while large amounts of rubble collapse at their heels.


	108. Fanatics 63.5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the final showdown on the ship.

Abductions Part Five

 

            Zim, Dib, Gaz, Pepito, Johnny, Devi, Tenna, the Night Terrors, Skoodge, and Kat hustle through the corridors. Reverend Meat is carrying Gle’lep and an injured Smugmar. Gle’lep is directing them to the control room of the ship.

            Zim blasts through every door they come to. They move fast, not slowing down for even a second. That is until the sound of multiple explosions echoes in the distance and shakes the entire ship. They stumble to a stop and grip the walls to keep their balance.

            “Explosions?” Dib questions.

            “It’s gotta be Squee!” Pepito exclaims.

            Without another word, they all immediately take off in the direction of the explosions. Johnny quickly takes the lead and covers a lot of ground. He exits that hall into another splitting off to the right and left. He stops and looks back and forth, trying to figure out which direction to go. He stops when he hears crashing coming from the right. Dust and rubble tumble out of an adjacent hallway, shortly followed by Squee, Shmee, Nugget, Gir, and Minimoose.

            Gir is flying and carrying Squee. He lets him go and Squee stumbles across the hall and against the wall. Shmee, Nugget, Minimoose, and his bag fall from his arms as he leans his back against the wall, panting heavily. Blood is dripping from the cuts, scratches, and scrapes covering his face and arms and ripped through his shirt and pants. He’s also caked in dust.

             Shmee leaps onto Squee’s head before going lifeless to everyone but him. Squee stares at him as he forces himself to take a few deep breaths. Nugget chirps and Squee glances at her. That’s when he spots Johnny, a little ways down the hall, staring at him.       

            Squee blinks with surprise before immediately tearing up. He gets up from the wall and races to him. Nny can barely prepare himself before Squee glomps him, burying his face into his stomach.

            “Squee, you’re hurt,” Johnny states.

            “Please don’t ever do that again,” Squee whimpers into his shirt. “Don’t leave me.”  
            Johnny blinks with surprise before sighing and resting his hands on Squee’s head. “Sorry. I just…wanted you to be safe.”

            “I’d rather be a prisoner on an alien ship with you than safe and alone.”  
            Nny smiles softly and gently tousles Squee’s hair. Squee squeezes him tighter.

            Nugget mews at their feet. They split apart and smile at her.      

            “I’m sure she was a lot of help,” Johnny says sarcastically as he picks her up.

            “She’s moral support,” Squee says.     

            “Squee!” Pepito exclaims happily as he runs in and squeezes him tight. “Oh, you’re okay! I was so worried about you!”  
            “I’m glad you guys are okay too,” Squee smiles, his voice slightly muffled by Pepito’s arm.

            “Jeez, look at you. You’re a mess,” Dib comments when Pepito lets him go.

            Squee smiles awkwardly and starts to say something before Gir pops in, hopping onto Squee’s shoulder. “You should see the other guy!”  
            “Gir!” Zim questions with surprise.

            “Masta!” Gir cheers happily and leaps at his head. Zim ducks and Gir crashes into the wall.

            Minimoose chirps as he hovers over, Squee’s bag hanging off his head. “Oh, thank you, Minimoose,” he says as he grabs it.     

            “What happened to you anyway?” Devi asks as she starts wiping Squee’s cheeks with her sleeve.          

            “We broke into an alien spaceship,” Squee points out, “I’m gonna get hurt.”  
            “Damn, Squee, you’re some kind of badass,” Gaz says, impressed, and playfully punches his shoulder.

            Squee chuckles nervously as he rubs it. “Ow.”

            “Well,  now that the team’s all back together, all we have to do is get to the control room,” Zim declares, “I hope we’re close. I’m getting real tired of blasting through doors.”  
            “Oh, we don’t have to break them down,” Squee says and pulls a key card out of his pocket. “I got this.”  
            Gle’lep and Smugmar gasp with surprise.

            “How did you get that?” Gle’lep asks, his voice being translated through Zim’s translator.

            “Semi-violent tactics,” Squee shrugs, “the point is with this we practically own this ship.”

            He beams proudly as he holds up the card. And then immediately after, the Plitletian monster smashes through the rubble of the collapsed hallway. It’s covered in dark purple blood, is missing several tentacles, and is absolutely seething with rage.

            “It’s our old friend,” Shmee grunts.

            “Well, that’s what I get for feeling confident,” Squee sighs.

            The monster roars and lunges its tentacles towards Squee. He squeaks and stumbles backwards fearfully, bumping into Nny.

            A pink force field appears between them and the monster. The tentacles bang against it harmlessly. Everyone looks back at Zim and his extended spider legs.

            “What not on Earth is that thing?” Zim asks.

            “Yexultex,” Gle’lep breathes.

            “What?” Pepito questions.

            “It’s a Plitletian super soldier,” he explains, “it’s designed to be completely unstoppable.”  
            “Unstoppable, huh?” Zim smirks, “sounds like a challenge. Zim accepts.”      

            “As will I,” Kat says as she drops her human disguise, revealing her true cyborg Irken self. “Sounds like fun.”  
            “You think I need your help?” Zim scoffs.

            “You need all the help you can get,” she retorts.

            “I’ll help to,” Pepito says and steps forward.

            “No,” Zim says sternly. “You get everyone to the control room.”

            “But-,” he starts to argue but Zim cuts him off.

            “Take the translator,” he orders as he puts the device into Pepito’s hands. “Get to the control room and take control of the ship. Leave this thing to the Irkens.”  
            Pepito stares at him, uncertain for a second before nodding.

            “Let’s get moving, everyone,” Pepito orders and points down the hall they just came out of.

            “Don’t get hurt, Zim,” Dib says as they start running off.

            “You too, Tak,” Gaz adds.

            Gir and Minimoose hanging off their master’s shoulder, Zim and Tak stare after them until they’re all gone then glare at Yexultex. It’s banging relentlessly on Zim’s force field and roaring angrily.

            “Ready to destroy this thing?” Tak asks.

            “Yeah,” Zim smirks, “let’s see how unstoppable it is when it’s reduced to mush.”  
            “Yeah,” Skoodge adds.

            Zim and Tak look down at him with surprise.

            “Skoodge!” Zim exclaims, “what are you still doing here?”          

            “You said ‘let the Irkens handle this’,” Skoodge points out, “I’m Irken.”

            Unable to argue, Zim just groans with annoyance.

            They all flinch as rubble starts falling from the ceiling. Yexultex has started smashing through it and is attempting to climb over Zim’s force field.

            “It’s figured out a way around!” Tak exclaims.

           “Alright, it’s go time!” Zim barks. He retracts his spider legs and a pair of laser guns pops out.           

            Zim starts shooting as Yexultex lunges its tentacles at him. The lasers slice through the monster’s appendages but don’t seem to faze it.    

            Everyone jumps out of the way of Yexultex’s tentacles. The Irkens are lifted up by their spider legs while Gir and Minimoose fly in the air.

            Tak points her robotic arm at the beast. Her hand folds all the way back, revealing a hole going up her forearm. From it she fires large laser beams. They slice through the monster’s tentacles and explode on its body. It turns to her, roaring, and whips a tentacle at her. She lifts one of her spider legs to try and block, but it just knocks it out of the way. She screams with surprise as she’s thrown back and into Zim. They both clatter to the floor. 

            “Dammit, Tak!” Zim barks, “watch where you’re falling!”  
            Yexultex roars and starts to throw down a mass of tentacles on top of them. They exclaim and struggle to untangle themselves.

            Before Yexultex can hit them however, a laser explodes against the side of its head. It snarls and turns to the shooter, Skoodge, who is standing on two spider legs and has two more pointed at the monster.

            Yexultex gets ready to attack when Gir flies in smacks the other side of its head. He flies around, kicking and slapping every part of the monster he can reach, with exaggerated ninja sounds.

            Yexultex roars with annoyance and stretches out its tentacles, wrapping them around Skoodge, Gir, and Minimoose too for good measure. They squeak in pain as Yexultex starts squeezing hard enough to pop their eyes out of their heads.

            “Hey!” Zim barks and jumps to his feet. He begins firing at Yexultex with his guns. He doesn’t do much damage, but succeeds in at least loosening its grip a little.

            A little communicator pops out of Tak’s PAK. She shouts into it, “Mimi! Come to me!”

            All of a sudden, the floor starts shaking more and more quickly followed by crashing that seems to be getting closer. And then Tak’s SIR unit, Mimi, smashes through the floor directly behind Zim and Tak. He looks at her with surprise and peeks through the hole. There are multiple holes smashed through all the floors below leading right outside.         

            “Mimi! Attack!” Tak shouts, pointing at Yexultex.

            Mimi salutes before shooting towards it. She pulls back her large fist and cracks it right in the beak. It stumbles backwards a couple feet, dropping Skoodge, Gir, and Minimoose.

            Once Yexultex regains its footing, it shakes its head before roaring angrily. Its multiple tentacles shoot at the group. The Irkens release their spider legs and meet the tentacles head on. Their spider legs stab through many of the appendages while Gir, Minimoose, and Mimi fly around the rest.       

            Yexultex screeches furiously. It lifts its undamaged tentacles and brings them sideways at the Irkens. Not expecting it, they’re unable to dodge and are crushed between the large appendages. Their spider legs retract as they gasp in pain and fall to the floor.

            The monster gurgles with delight and prepares to strike again. Zim lifts his head and gasp as it pulls back its tentacles.

            “Minimoose!” he barks, “fire!”

            Minimoose hovers over the Irkens. His cheeks puff out before his mouth opens, unleashing a giant laser beam about ¾ the size of the corridor. It blasts through Yexultex and the wall behind it, and four of the walls behind that before dissipating.

            “Should’ve just done that from beginning,” Zim groans before resting his head on the floor.

            “Uh, Zim,” Skoodge whimpers.

           Zim looks up and sees the remaining tentacles of Yexultex twitching before crawling forward.

            “Are you kidding me?” Zim snaps.

            Tak groans painfully and rolls out of the way. Zim and Skoodge quickly follow suit. The tentacles wiggle past them before slipping through the hole Mimi made. Everyone quickly looks through it and watches as Yexultex’s remains fall to the ground far, far below.        

            Zim, Tak, and Skoodge pant before sighing and falling backwards onto the floor, exhausted.

            Meanwhile, the control room of the ship is in disarray. Plitletian officers are scurrying around in a panic. Amidst the chaos, Captain Zul’ut barks orders and questions.

            “A quarter of our ship has been destroyed!” he barks, “prisoners have escaped! Yexultex is missing! How could this have happened? Who is responsible for this?”  
            Nobody can answer him. They’re all too frightened and confused.

            A loud bang rings throughout the room, silencing everyone. They all look at a door in the back of the room and notice a dent bulging inwards.

            There’s a second bang followed by a second dent a couple inches from the first. Then a third and a fourth. Finally, a large hole is blown through the door.

            The Plitletians flinch back fearfully. When they look again, two figures are thrown towards them. Gle’lep and Smugmar hit the floor by their tentacles, bound by their own appendages. They look up at their comrades, scared and guilty.

            Captain Zul’ut and his officers stare at the two captured Plitletians with surprise before looking back at the door as a bunch of humans climb in.

            Pepito clears his throat as he lifts up the translator to his mouth. “If I could have everybody’s attention, thank you.”  
            He smirks as he points at himself with his thumb. “This here ship is being commandeered by Earth’s Battalion. It’s what ya’ll get for trying to abduct our city.”

            “You!” Zul’ut barks, “are you hooligans the ones responsible for ruining my ship?”  
            “No, that was mostly Squee,” Gaz replies.

            “You abducted our whole city!” Dib snaps, “you’re lucky we haven’t blown up your whole ship!”

            “Exactly,” Pepito nods, “now we can either do this the easy way or the hard way. But one way or the other, the prisoners will be freed and safely returned to the surface.”

            Zul’ut snarls and points at them dramatically. “Destroy them!”

            All of the officers lash their tentacles towards them group.

            “The hard way then,” Pepito smirks, “perfect.”

            He points his hands forward and creates a black force field in front of them. The Plitletians’ tentacles slap against it harmlessly.

            “Dib! Take control of the ship!” he orders, “the rest of us will keep the aliens busy!”  
            “A-alright,” Dib nods.

            “Everybody ready?” Pepito asks.

            “Yeah,” the others reply.

            “Then let’s kick some alien butt,” he smirks. 

            He lowers the shield and everyone charges forward towards the aliens. They clash hard, fists and tentacles flying.

            Dib races around the fighting, dodging Plitletians until he reaches a computer. He taps the keyboard, trying to make sense of the strange symbols.

            Squee hops out of the fray and joins his side. “How’s it look?”

            “Not good,” Dib replies, “I don’t know what any of this means and I can’t translate it. I can’t believe I’m saying this but I wish Tak was here.”

            “How are we gonna free everyone anyway?” Squee asks, “we can’t land the ship, it’s too big. It’ll crush the whole city.”  
            “Well, when we were sucked up those tubes, we landed directly in that prison cell,” he explains, “maybe there’s a way we can reverse that. But all that is moot until we figure out what these symbols mean.”

            Squee looks back at the fighting. It’s chaos with flying fists and knives and bats and tentacles and lots of shouting and swearing- mostly from the human side. He spots Nny amidst the scuffle and waves at him.

            Nny catches his eye and shrugs questionably. Squee points at one of the Plitletians. Nny grabs them by the neck and points at them. Squee nods and waves for him to come over.          

            Nny drags the struggling alien over, still holding them by their neck. The Plitletian gurgles in pain and protest. The trio stares at them blankly.   

            “We don’t have the translator,” Dib points out.

            Squee groans loudly and looks around the crowd. He spots Pepito and waves at him until he looks over. He holds out his hand like he’s holding a small box and points at it. Pepito lifts up the translator, pointing at it. Squee nods and waves both arms at him.

            Pepito throws the translator over. Squee squeaks with surprise and immediately covers his head. Johnny and Dib gasp and scramble to catch it. Fortunately Johnny grabs it before it hits the floor and everybody sighs with relief.

            Amidst the panic, the Plitletian tried escaping. But Johnny catches them before they get too far. He throws them at the computer and steps on their head, squishing their face onto the screen.

            Dib takes the translator and holds it between them. “How do we free the prisoners?”  
            “I’ll never talk!” the Plitletian barks, “you can’t make me!”

            “Oh, boy,” Squee sighs.  

            Johnny grabs one of the Plitletian’s wiggling tentacles. He pulls a switchblade out of his pants pocket and stabs it a couple times.

            The Plitletian cries out in pain then growls defiantly. “You humans are monsters ruled by violence.”

            “You’re right about that,” Johnny nods, “so you better tell us what we want to know.”

            “Never,” they snarl, “the galaxy would be better off without your species polluting it. That’s why we’re going to destroy it.”

            “We’re not a threat to any of you though,” Squee points out, “we can’t even travel to another planet. We’re just a threat to ourselves.”

            “A threat is still a threat,” the Plitletian argues, “and all must be terminated.”  
            Before anyone can argue, a tentacle suddenly flies in and slams into Johnny. He’s knocked off the Plitletian and hits the floor.

            “Nny!” Squee exclaims.

            The Plitletian scuttles away while Captain Zul’ut retracts his tentacle. Johnny sits up and they glare at each other.          

            “Are you okay?” Squee asks worriedly.

            “Yeah, fine,” Johnny replies as he stands up, never taking his eyes off Zul’ut.

            “We lost our prisoner,” Dib sighs.

            “Eh, it wasn’t gonna talk anyway,” he grunts, “we threatened the wrong alien.”  
            “The wrong alien?” Squee questions.

            “Squee, give me a Smiley Bomb,” Johnny orders. Squee quickly digs around his bag before grabbing a bomb. Johnny grabs it as well as the translator from Dib.

            Without another word, Johnny races into the crowd. He dodges around the waring aliens and humans and charges straight to Zul’ut. He sees him coming and they clash head-on.

            Zul’ut whips his tentacle arms at Johnny. Johnny dodges one and grabs the other, wrapping it around his forearm and holding it tight. Zul’ut wraps his free arm around Johnny’s midriff and squeezes but it doesn’t faze him. He body checks Zul’ut, shoving his back into the wall. Zul’ut lunges his tentacle legs at Johnny, wrapping them around his torso and legs, but Johnny keeps a firm grip on his first tentacle arm so he can’t be pushed back and plants his foot on Zul’ut’s chest.

            Once they’re face to face, Johnny holds the translator and bomb between them, and squeezes the pin.

            “This bomb is the same kind that was responsible for destroying much of your ship,” he growls, “call off your army and free the prisoners, or I’ll blow us all up.”  
            “You’re bluffing,” Zul’ut scoffs.

            “Don’t test me,” Johnny snarls.

            They glare at each other. Zul’ut has seen many creatures throughout his travels across the galaxy. But never has he seen eyes as dark and empty as the ones before him. Against his will, his grip starts loosening.

            Johnny starts to twist the pin.

            “Stop!” Zul’ut cries and Johnny freezes. “Alright. I’ll do it.”  
            Zul’ut lets go of Johnny and lifts his head. “Everybody, pull back!”

            The fighting immediately stops and the Plitletians look back at their captain with surprise.

          “It’s over,” Zul’ut sighs, “release the prisoners back onto the surface and prepare to retreat.”

            The officers look at each other and garble with confusion.

            “Now!” he barks.

            They gasp and quickly scurry about the cabin. One of them shoves past Dib and taps on the keyboard. An alarm starts sounding with a message being repeated through the intercom. It’s translated as ‘prisoner release, prisoner release.’

            “There. Now please just leave,” Zul’ut begs.

            Johnny takes his foot of his chest and steps back. “Pleasure doing business with you.”  
            He tosses the bomb back to Squee and the translator to Dib as he strides to the door.

            “Alright, mission accomplished,” Pepito shrugs.

            “Yeah. Now let’s grab Zim and get out of here,” Dib orders.

            They all quickly scurry out the door and back into the hall. But Dib stops short and looks back at the Plitletians.

            “You’re wrong about humans,” he says into the translator. “We’re not all bad. And I think we still have a chance.”  
            Zul’ut cocks his head at him. Dib lingers a second longer before hopping through the door and racing after the others.

            A few corridors away, Zim, Tak, and Skoodge stare through the many holes in the ships floors. They can see large tubes extending from the bottom of the ship, safely dropping humans onto the surface. Of course from this height they just look like little specks, but the sentiment is there.

            “I guess I really should stop underestimating those guys,” Tak says.

            “Yeah,” Zim grunts, “you should.”

            They look up at the sound of rapid footsteps and see Dib and the others race up to them.

            “You guys look like you had a rough time,” Pepito comments.

            “You guys look no better,” Zim retorts.

            They all look at each other. Most of them are covered in cuts and scrapes from their battle.

            “But you succeeded,” he groans as he sits up. “And this might just be exhaustion and delirium talking but… good work, all of you.”

            Dib, Gaz, Pepito, and Squee beam proudly. Mr. Fuck, Psycho Doughboy, Reverend Meat, and Sickness smirk arrogantly. Devi and Tenna grin wearily while Johnny just rolls his eyes.

            “Now, how are we gonna get out of here?” Dib asks as he helps Zim to his feet, wrapping Zim’s arm around his waist. Gaz does the same with Tak while Pepito picks up Skoodge and Squee carries Gir, Minimoose, and Mimi.

            “We’ll never find our way back to the prison cells,” Pepito muses.       

            “Gir and Mimi can’t fly us all down,” Squee adds.

            “We could jump,” Johnny suggests, gesturing to the holes in the floors.         

            “Are you kidding?” Devi scoffs, “we’d be dead before we hit the ground.”  
            As they argue and toss around ideas- mostly argue- something approaches them from down the corridor. They hear the tentacles slapping the floor and turn to face them.

            It’s Gle’lep. He pants as he walks up to them, bent over and exhausted.

            “Gle’lep,” Zim grunts.

            “How’s your partner?” Squee asks.

            “Smugmar will be fine,” Gle’lep replies, “I, on the other hand, have been demoted for treason.”

            “Well, you did lead your enemies to the most important room on the ship,” Pepito points out.

            “I knew you humans were trouble from the second we started investigating this planet,” he growls.  
            “Hey, man, you started it,” Dib shrugs.

            “Stay away from my people,” Gle’lep snarls.

            “That’s our line,” Zim retorts.    

            Gle’lep holds up a small remote he was carrying and taps it a couple times. Suddenly a circular section of the floor opens up behind Zim and the others and a large tube extends from it. It sucks everyone up so quickly they don’t even have time to resist.

            They all scream as they’re sucked through the tube before hitting the ground in the middle of the city. They fall on top of each into a huge pile, grunting in pain.  

            As they roll off each other, groaning with annoyance, they’re hit with a huge gust of wind. They look up as the alien ship takes off higher into the sky before quickly disappearing.   

            They all stare up at the sky for a couple more second before sighing and looking around.            

            All around them, people are laughing and hugging each other. They’re reuniting with family and friends and trying to figure out what the hell just happened.

            “We just saved the whole city,” Zim says, “and nobody will even know.”

            “Heroes don’t do the right thing for praise,” Dib states, “they do the right thing because it’s the right thing to do.”

            “Fuck that,” Pepito scoffs.

            “Yeah, I want some praise,” Gaz agrees.

            “Well, it’s not like anyone would believe us if we told them,” Squee points out.       

             Zim, Dib, Gaz, and Pepito groan with agreement.

            “Well, those troglodytes might not know, but we do,” Devi points out as she pats Squee’s head.

            “Of course you do; you helped,” Squee points out.

             “Yes, yes, we all did good work today,” Zim nods affirmatively before hanging his head with exhaustion. “Now I’m gonna go home and sleep for the next 24 hours.”

            “That actually sounds pretty good,” Tak nods as she puts her disguise back on.

            “Yeah, and we should find our hopeless roommates,” Eff says.

            “And we should find our dad,” Dib says to Gaz who nods in agreement.

            Everyone starts splitting off, waving goodbye to each other. Tak grabs Mimi before hobbling off while Zim takes Skoodge, Gir, and Minimoose. He gives Squee a quick pat on the back before leaving. Eventually it’s just Johnny, Squee, Devi, and Tenna, along with Nugget and Shmee.

            “So what now? We just walk home?” Tenna asks.

            “I doubt any of the taxi services are running right now,” Devi points out.

            “It’s gonna be a long walk,” Johnny groans.

            And that it is. It takes nearly five hours to walk through the recovering city. Devi and Tenna eventually split off to go to their apartments, leaving Nny and Squee with their pets. Squee sighs wearily and rests his head against Nny’s side as they continue walking.          

            They reach Grave Road around sunset and they’re not the only ones. It seems their neighbors who were abducted also got home around the same time. Amanda is squeezing her daughter Emily, Colton and his little sister Kay are both hugging their parents, even Shane and Sage are being welcomed home by their dog, Bizner.

            Squee smiles weakly at the sight. Colton spots him and waves excitedly. Squee half-waves back.

            “What a nice happy ending,” Nny comments.

            “It’ll be happier when I can lie down,” Squee yawns.

            Nny chuckles and they go into their house together, closing the door on the happy reunions and ending this crazy, erratic day.

**Author's Note:**

> Fanatics is a massive, ongoing fic and I already have loads of chapters done on my DA and Tumblr. I'm gonna be uploading three chapters a week, every Monday,Wednesday, and Friday. Fanatics takes place after my two really old fanfics- Not Quite Un-Right for Invader Zim, and Dreaming Awake for Johnny the Homicidal Maniac. Both are finished on my DA so if anyone's interested, leave a comment and I can link you to them. But other than a couple reoccurring characters and references, there's not much you need to know from them.  
> I wrote this ages ago so if my writing seems choppy or something, I promise it gets better.


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